New Level(s) framework: Assessing the affinity between the main international Green Building Rating Systems and the european scheme

In line with current sustainability aims, in 2018 the European Commission launched Level(s), as a common framework for assessing the sustainability performance of buildings, unifying the European construction sector. In the last decades, several Green Building Rating Systems (GBRSs) have been broadly developed to promote buildings’ sustainability, bringing new challenges and opportunities for building-related participants. Although Level(s) was not conceived as a rating system, the construction sector will have to meet its criteria in the long run. Level(s) testers agree on the necessity to check its combability with local and international standards and methods. This research aims to evaluate the affinity between five well-known GBRSs, namely, BREEAM, LEED, DGNB, CASBEE, and WELL, and Level(s), through i) the degree of correlation between indicators and macro-objectives; ii) commonalities in using standards and guidelines; and iii) life-cycle coverage. Results show LEED as the most subjectively related system to Level(s) (81% affinity), while BREEAM and DGNB show greater affinity in regulations and life cycle coverage. Based on the respective adopted approaches, WELL and CASBEE have shown objectively far from fulfilling Level(s) principles. The research outcomes could be valuable for GBRSs implementation, and for EU Commissioners, within the ongoing upgrading of EU sustainable strategies.