IRICE, Certification body - Cofrac accreditation No. 5-0655 Product, process and service certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr
The accredited biodiversity certification
New build, renovation, land development.
Effinature assesses and certifies the ecological performance of your operations. A certification issued by an accredited body, not a self-declared label.
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Regulatory deadline
27 September 2026
From that date, not every environmental label will still be usable
Directive (EU) 2024/825 requires a sustainability label to rest on a certification scheme verified by a third party independent of the scheme owner and the trader.
Effinature meets that requirement: the standard is owned by NORMATYS, certification is delivered by IRICE, two distinct legal entities within the NORMAXIS group.
What it changes for your operation →5-0655
Cofrac accreditation held by IRICE
17065
ISO/IEC standard governing the certification
4
standards, from design through to operation
100 %
of certificates listed in a public registry
You are
Biodiversity certification, seen from your line of work
The concerns of a property developer are not those of a local authority. Pick your way in.
Property developers
Stand out commercially and secure your environmental claims on housing and offices.
Learn more →Social housing landlords
Document the ecological quality of your housing stock, in new build and renovation alike.
Learn more →Land developers
Certify at neighbourhood scale: development zones, subdivisions, public spaces and green corridors.
Learn more →Local authorities
Set a verifiable requirement in your consultations and planning permissions.
Learn more →What makes a title worth something
Not every biodiversity scheme is equal
In a market where anyone can create their own quality sign, the question is no longer whether your operation displays something, but whether what it displays holds up in front of a third party. Here is what sets an accredited certification apart.
Deadline: 27 September 2026
From that date, not every environmental label will still be usable
Directive (EU) 2024/825 makes it unlawful to display a sustainability label in commercial communication unless it was established by a public authority or rests on a certification scheme. That scheme must be open, transparent, and verified by a third party independent of both the scheme owner and the trader. Any architecture built on self-assessment, or in which a single legal entity owns the standard and rules on compliance with it, falls outside what the directive allows.
Effinature meets that requirement: the standard is owned by NORMATYS, and certification is delivered by IRICE, a body accredited by Cofrac under no. 5-0655. They are two distinct legal entities within the NORMAXIS group. The separation is functional: NORMATYS owns and develops the standard, IRICE assesses and decides on certification.
Read the full analysis of the directive →A certification, not a label
A certification is a regulated act, issued by a third party against an enforceable standard and backed by the scope of accreditation of the body that awards it. IRICE is accredited by Cofrac, certification of products, processes and services, accreditation no. 5-0655, scope available at www.cofrac.fr. Your certificate is auditable and holds up in front of investors, buyers and public authorities.
Whoever assesses does not decide
On site, a Biodiversity Partner applies the standard from concrete evidence. The certification decision belongs to IRICE alone, which reviews the file independently of the person who assessed it. Every answer is backed by a traceable piece of evidence, and a complaints and appeals procedure is open to you, as required by ISO/IEC 17065. That is what protects you from an assessment error becoming a certificate.
A pace that matches your operation
Two to four months between request and decision, as an indication. Your request is reviewed for admissibility as soon as it is filed, an assessor is appointed, and the assessment slots into your project schedule rather than the other way round. You follow every step live from your own workspace, without having to chase anyone for news of your file.
The whole life cycle, one framework
New build, renovation, land development, then performance maintained in use: the four standards cover the building block as well as the neighbourhood scale, and follow the operation once delivered through recurring conformity checks. No need to change framework as your project moves on.
A certificate that can be refused
Effinature is awarded against requirements that are met or not met, not against an average that lets a weak area be offset by a strong one. A file can be turned down, a certificate can be suspended or withdrawn, and the public registry records those cases just as it records the successes. A distinction everyone obtains distinguishes nobody: what gives your certificate its value on the market is precisely the fact that it was not automatic.
On the ground
Operations under way across the whole of France
Housing, offices, refurbishments and entire neighbourhoods, certified or under assessment, throughout the country.
Operations certified or under assessment, by region.
- Île-de-France 67
- Occitanie 64
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 8
- Brittany 4
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine 4
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 4
- Hauts-de-France 3
- Normandy 3
- Pays de la Loire 3
- Centre-Val de Loire 1
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 1
- Grand Est 1
Every certified operation is listed in the public registry, open to consultation by anyone.
4 biodiversity certification frameworks
Choose the framework that matches your project type and ecological maturity.
NCO 25.05
New Construction
Biodiversity certification for new construction projects. 2 assessment phases (Design and Construction), 51 criteria, 119 requirements.
EVO 25.05
Existing Buildings & Renovation
Biodiversity certification for renovation projects on existing buildings. 62 criteria, 129 requirements tailored to existing stock.
HOR 25.05
Urban Development
Biodiversity certification for development projects: mixed-use zones, subdivisions, public spaces, roads. Landscape and ecological considerations.
HVE 25.05
High Ecological Value
Extension for previously certified projects. Long-term maintenance of ecological performance through recurring conformity checks (CCR).
Construction phase
Model the carbon footprint of your construction site (Article 35)
Article 35 of the French Climate and Resilience Act comes into force on 21 August 2026 and introduces an environmental criterion for construction contracts. Efficarbone models and benchmarks construction-site carbon using the EN 15978 / ISO 14064 methodology.
Discover Efficarbone →Group reporting
Portfolio biodiversity assessment (CSRD ESRS E4)
For ESG teams needing to aggregate biodiversity performance across multiple assets: BPS produces a multi-asset score feeding ESRS E4, SFDR PAI and the EU Green Taxonomy.
Discover BPS →BIOM365 · free IRICE tools
Gauge your project's biodiversity in 2 minutes
BiodivPass and TerraLink are part of BIOM365, the free tool suite by IRICE that gives you an early read on your ecological and regulatory exposure, no sign-up required.
BiodivPass
Express biodiversity diagnostic
10 questions to get an indicative score of your regulatory exposure (CSRD, Directive 2024/825, Climate Law Article 35) and of the level of proof expected for your project, from a simple score to accredited certification.
TerraLink
Ecological connectivity analysis
Enter an address and gauge your site's ecological exposure early on: regulatory zoning (Natura 2000, ZNIEFF), vegetation cover, green-and-blue network, wetland sensitivity. Score, sensitivity level and a downloadable PDF report.
The full suite
BIOM365, “life is measured every day”
Beyond BiodivPass and TerraLink, IRICE's free suite also includes SoilDiag (soil life) and FaunaLog (fauna inventory).
These pre-diagnostics are indicative and do not replace a field diagnostic or a biodiversity performance statement signed by IRICE.
Frequently asked questions
Understanding Effinature in 6 questions
Answers to the most common questions from project owners, developers and the professionals who support them.
What is Effinature?
Effinature is a biodiversity and ecological performance certification for construction, renovation and development projects. It is issued by IRICE, an independent third-party body, under four frameworks: NCO (new construction), EVO (renovation of existing buildings), HOR (urban development) and HVE (high ecological value, ongoing monitoring).
Is Effinature a biodiversity label?
No. Effinature is a certification, a regulated act issued by an independent third-party body against an enforceable framework. Unlike a private distinctive mark, a certification is backed by the accreditation scope of the issuing body. IRICE is a Cofrac-accredited body, Cofrac accreditation No. 5-0655 Product, process and service certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr.
What types of projects can be certified?
Effinature covers the full property lifecycle. NCO 25.05 certifies new construction projects (residential, office, mixed-use). EVO 25.05 certifies renovation projects on existing buildings. HOR 25.05 certifies development projects: mixed-use zones, subdivisions, public spaces, roads. HVE certifies the long-term maintenance of ecological performance for previously certified projects, through recurring conformity checks (CCR).
How long does the certification process take?
The duration depends on the framework and the maturity of the project. The request can be submitted in a few minutes via the platform. IRICE reviews eligibility, then proposes a certification contract to sign online. A qualified assessor is appointed and follows the project throughout design and construction. NCO projects involve two distinct assessment phases: Design and Construction.
What is a Biodiversity Partner and how can I become one?
A Biodiversity Partner is a professional qualified by IRICE to support project owners through the Effinature certification process. The network is publicly available online. Each Biodiversity Partner has completed the Effinature framework training and holds an individual qualification number. Training is delivered by Qualitel Formation (Qualiopi-certified), in partnership with IRICE, and is eligible for OPCO funding, the French employer-funded training scheme. The full catalogue (4 levels, BP-N1 to BP-N4) is available at irice-certification.com/formations.
How is the Effinature certification recognised?
Effinature is operated by IRICE, a Cofrac-accredited body, Cofrac accreditation No. 5-0655 Product, process and service certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr. This accreditation guarantees that the assessment processes comply with the international standard ISO/IEC 17065 for product, process and service certification bodies. Referential transparency is ensured through the publication of certified projects in a publicly accessible directory.
Effinature Network
Become a Biodiversity Partner
Do you support construction or development projects? Join the network of Biodiversity Partners qualified by IRICE and support project owners through their Effinature certification.
4 training levels, from awareness (N1) to HVE qualification (N4), delivered by Qualitel Formation (Qualiopi-certified)
OPCO funding, all training courses are eligible for funding through OPCO, the French employer-funded training scheme
Public listing, your qualification is visible in the Biodiversity Partners register, available online
Individual qualification, a personal BP number, referenced in every certification file
The qualification pathway
Level 1, Awareness
1 day (7h), Understanding biodiversity and property challenges
Level 2, Biodiversity Partner
2 days (14h), BP qualification, authorisation to conduct assessments
Level 3, HOR Qualification
1 day (7h), Urban development extension (coming soon)
Level 4, HVE Qualification
1 day (7h), High Ecological Value extension (coming soon)
Standard owner
NORMATYS
The Effinature standard is the property of NORMATYS (NORMAXIS group), which develops and maintains it under its NORMATYS programme. NORMATYS and IRICE are two legally distinct companies.
Certification body
IRICE Certification
IRICE is a certification body specialising in biodiversity and ecological performance of construction and development projects. Our qualified assessors carry out the field assessments, ensuring an independent, rigorous and impartial reading of the standard.
Cofrac accreditation No. 5-0655 Product, process and service certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr
4
Frameworks
119+
Requirements assessed
ISO
17065
100%
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How do you certify the biodiversity of your project?
A straightforward, transparent process from request to certificate.
Registration
Create your account by entering your company details. Information is pre-filled from the SIRENE business register.
Request
Complete the request form: project details, contacts, Biodiversity Partner, target framework.
Review & Contract
IRICE reviews the eligibility of your application, then sends you a contract to sign online.
Certification
A qualified assessor is appointed. Follow the assessments and obtain your Effinature certificate.
Free, No commitment until the contract is signed