Germany's DGNB

Germany's DGNB
Name	DGNB
Native name	Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen
Formation	2007
Headquarters	Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
Region served	Germany; international
Leader title	President

Germany's DGNB is the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen, a German organization established to promote sustainable building practices through certification, research, and education. It operates within the context of European and international standards, interacting with institutions such as European Union, Bundesregierung, Baugesetzbuch, Europäische Kommission, World Green Building Council, and United Nations Environment Programme. The DGNB connects with stakeholders including Fraunhofer Society, Technische Universität München, RWTH Aachen University, Universität Stuttgart, and Karlsruher Institut für Technologie.

History

The organisation traces roots to initiatives involving Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung, collaborations with Deutscher Städtetag, engagements with Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag, and influences from programs like Passivhaus Institut and movements such as Energiewende. Early milestones include alignment with DIN, dialogue with Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and contributions from actors like KfW Bankengruppe and Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt. DGNB’s development intersected with policy frameworks including the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, projects funded by Horizon 2020, and partnerships with organizations such as Bauhaus-Archiv and Deutsches Architekturmuseum.

Organisation and Governance

DGNB's governance model involves a board, advisory councils, and committees that draw members from professional bodies like Bundesarchitektenkammer, Bundesingenieurkammer, and corporate members such as Hochtief, Strabag, Siemens, Bosch, and BASF. It collaborates with research institutes including Institut für Baustoffe, Fraunhofer IBP, and universities such as Universität Leipzig and Technische Universität Berlin. International liaison occurs with bodies like ISO, CEN, LEED, BREEAM, and Green Building Council South Africa while engaging municipal partners like Stadt Stuttgart, Hamburg Senate, and City of Munich.

Certification System and Criteria

DGNB’s certification framework addresses criteria spanning ecological, economic, socio-cultural, technical, and process quality, referencing standards from DIN EN 15804, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001. The system integrates lifecycle assessment methods endorsed by Umweltbundesamt and tools developed in cooperation with Öko-Institut, Wuppertal Institut, and Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg. It aligns with funding schemes of KfW and regulatory trajectories steered by Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung and links to climate targets set by Pariser Abkommen and Klimaschutzgesetz. The criteria incorporate aspects promoted by movements and standards such as Cradle to Cradle, BREEAM, LEED, and research outputs from Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.

Certification Process and Levels

The DGNB process typically involves planning assessment, construction verification, and operation audits, engaging professionals from Architektenkammer Nordrhein-Westfalen, Ingenieurkammer-Bau, Sachverständigenrat, and consultancies like Drees & Sommer. Certification levels include Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, comparable in ambition to schemes from Building Research Establishment and United States Green Building Council. Project typologies covered extend to residential projects influenced by Deutscher Mieterbund, commercial assets owned by entities like Deutsche Wohnen, infrastructural projects such as those by Deutsche Bahn, and urban quarters akin to initiatives in Europaviertel (Frankfurt), HafenCity, and Stadtentwicklung Leipzig.

Impact and Adoption

DGNB has been applied across projects involving corporations such as Allianz, Deutsche Telekom, Bayer, and ThyssenKrupp, and in public-sector developments commissioned by Bundeswehr, Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, and municipal authorities including Berlin Senate and City of Cologne. International uptake has seen DGNB versions adapted in collaboration with partners in China, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, and South Africa, interfacing with organizations like China Academy of Building Research, Swiss Society for Engineers and Architects, and Austrian Institute of Technology. The certification influenced procurement policies in cities such as Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Zurich and features in corporate sustainability reporting frameworks alongside Global Reporting Initiative and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques have come from academic commentators at Universität Freiburg, Technische Universität Dresden, and NGOs like Greenpeace and BUND who challenge lifecycle assumptions, material assessment weightings, and claims of greenwashing in projects backed by corporations like Vonovia and E.ON. Debates have involved standards bodies such as DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung and policy forums including Bundesrat and Deutscher Bundestag over the rigor, transparency, and market impacts of certification. Controversies also reference comparative assessments with LEED and BREEAM and disputes in media outlets like Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Die Zeit.

Category:Sustainability organizations in Germany