Certification delivered by IRICE, third-party certification body
Biodiversity certification, proven by a third party.
New build, renovation, land development.
A certification issued by a third party, not a self-declared label. IRICE assesses your operations as a third party, decides, and lists every certificate in the public registry.
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Cofrac accreditation No. 5-0655 · Certification of products, processes and services · ISO/IEC 17065 · Scope available on www.cofrac.fr. This accreditation covers the EFFINATURE and EFFINATURE HVE certification programmes.
In force since
27 September 2026
Since that date, not every environmental label is still 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 designed by NORMATYS, certification is delivered by IRICE, two distinct legal entities.
What it changes for your operation →100 %
of certificates listed in the public registry
119
requirements assessed in new construction (NCO 25.05)
4
standards, version 25.05, from design through to operation
2010
first version of the Effinature standard (V1.0)
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 biodiversity 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 an Effinature certification rests on.
In force since 27 September 2026
Since that date, not every environmental label is still 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 designed by NORMATYS, and certification is delivered by IRICE, the certification body. They are two distinct legal entities. The separation is functional: NORMATYS designs and develops the standard, IRICE assesses and decides on certification.
Read the full analysis of the directive →A third-party certification
Effinature certification is issued by a third party, IRICE, against a public and enforceable standard designed by NORMATYS. Your certificate is auditable and holds up in front of investors, buyers and public authorities.
Whoever assesses does not decide
On site, the assessor appointed by IRICE applies the standard from concrete evidence, while the Biodiversity Partner supports the project owner. The certification decision belongs to IRICE alone, which reviews the file independently of the assessor. 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.
- Occitanie 68
- Île-de-France 67
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 13
- 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, version 25.05
Choose the framework that matches your project type and ecological maturity.
NCO 25.05
New Construction
Housing, offices, mixed-use. 2 phases: design and construction. 51 criteria, 119 requirements.
EVO 25.05
Renovation
Operations 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
Performance does not stop at handover. Performance maintained through recurring conformity checks (CCR), for operations already certified.
Construction phase
Model the carbon footprint of your construction site (Article 35)
Since 21 August 2026, Article 35 of the French Climate and Resilience Act requires at least one environmental criterion in the award of public contracts. Efficarbone measures, models and compares construction-site carbon (modules A4 and A5 of EN 15978).
Discover Efficarbone →Group reporting
Portfolio biodiversity assessment (CSRD ESRS E4)
For ESG teams needing to aggregate biodiversity performance across multiple assets: BPS assesses each asset with an A to G score, useful for ESRS E4, SFDR and EU taxonomy reporting. BPS prepares, compares and steers; Effinature certifies.
Discover BPS →BIOM · 5 free IRICE tools
Gauge your project's biodiversity in 2 minutes
BiodivPass and TerraLink are part of BIOM, the suite of 5 free tools 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 (EU) 2024/825, Climate Law Article 35) and of the level of proof expected for your project.
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
BIOM, the way in
BiodivPass, TerraLink, GroundCheck, FaunaLog, HabitatCheck: 5 free tools by IRICE, including GroundCheck (soil life) and FaunaLog (fauna inventory).
These pre-diagnostics are indicative. A field diagnostic and a third-party assessment remain the level of proof for an operation.
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, the certification body, a third party independent of both the designer of the standard and the assessed professional, 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: IRICE, a third-party certification body, assesses the operation against public, enforceable standards and takes the certification decision. Every certificate is listed in the public registry.
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. Allow 2 to 4 months between the application and the decision, as a guide.
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 certification is delivered by IRICE, a third-party certification body whose assessment and decision processes meet the international standard ISO/IEC 17065 for product, process and service certification bodies. 100% of certificates are listed in the public registry.
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, to support operations
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)
Who does what
Whoever writes the standard does not decide on certification.
NORMATYS designs the standards, IRICE assesses and decides. They are two legally distinct companies: every document states who writes the standard and who decides on certification.
IRICE is a third-party certification body for the ecological performance of real estate projects. It does not design projects or support them: it assesses them, then decides.
Designer of the standards
NORMATYS
Designs, develops, adopts, updates and publishes the standards at normatys.org.
Certification body
IRICE
Assesses and decides as a third party, then lists every certificate in the public registry.
Scheme committee
Biodiversity Standard Council
Scientific and technical committee for the NORMATYS standards, it approves their versions; IRICE runs it on behalf of NORMATYS.
Impartiality
Impartiality committee
3 colleges: independent experts, clients, internal.
Certified biodiversity, listed in the registry, verifiable by all.
Ready to certify the biodiversity of your project?
Create your free account and submit your certification request in just a few minutes. No commitment until the contract is signed.
Have a question?
Our team is available to answer your questions about the biodiversity certification process and the ecological performance of your projects. Response within 48 working hours.
How do you certify the biodiversity of your project?
A straightforward, transparent process from request to certificate.
Registration
Account and SIRENE data: your details are pre-filled from the French business register.
Request
Operation, Biodiversity Partner, target framework: the application is submitted online.
Review and contract
IRICE reviews the eligibility of your application, then sends you a contract to sign online.
Certification
An assessor is appointed, IRICE decides, the certificate is listed in the public registry.
2 to 4 months between the application and the decision, as a guide.
Free. No commitment until the contract is signed.