In a recent signing ceremony, Bureau Veritas, an international conformity assessment service provider in the building and infrastructure industry, and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the certification body for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating program, finalized the terms of their exclusive global agreement to facilitate LEED certification internationally. There are currently more than 69,000 LEED building projects located in over 150 countries and territories, with approximately 44% of all LEED-certified square footage outside of the U.S.
As part of the agreement, Bureau Veritas teams around the world will review LEED projects for conformity with GBCI’s strict standards for certification. Immediate plans for local LEED review teams have been drawn up for China, Brazil and India, where Bureau Veritas employs approximately 21,000 employees. Local review teams will enhance customer engagement and local support for LEED while advancing the goal for future site verification as part of the LEED certification process.
“GBCI and Bureau Veritas will be able to offer local touch points, local reviews, possible on site verifications and other resources for green building teams on the ground,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, COO of USGBC and president of GBCI. “Through this collaboration, we will be able to more closely connect with our customers, which will help accelerate the adoption of green building practices and deliver their benefits to these key economies."
The first buildings to be certified by Bureau Veritas within this partnership are due to be delivered in late 2015.
“Our objective is a seamless customer experience for LEED users and project teams,” said Gerard Biessy, vice president of Building and Infrastructures at Bureau Veritas. “We are investing considerable resources into our local capacity building and the integration of GBCI processes.”
For more information, visit www.bureauveritas.com.