After more than a year of collaborative work bringing together investors, developers, occupiers and industry experts, the LCBI Logistics label has officially been launched across ten European countries. Virtuo Industrial Property is proud to have contributed to this initiative as a founding partner of the consortium involved in defining this new benchmark standard for the logistics real estate sector.
Developed by the Low Carbon Building Initiative (LCBI), the first pan-European standard for measuring the carbon footprint of buildings throughout their entire life cycle, this new certification provides the logistics sector with a harmonised and independent framework to assess, compare and recognise the carbon performance of assets. Its ambition is to provide all market stakeholders with a common methodology based on objective criteria and aligned with decarbonisation pathways consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
For Virtuo, “société à mission” committed to the decarbonisation of logistics real estate, this collective initiative represents a major milestone. By creating a common language at the European level, LCBI Logistics aims to accelerate the adoption of more sustainable practices and support the long-term transformation of the sector.
Read the full LCBI press release below ⤵
LCBI extends its pan-European low-carbon certification scheme to logistics assets across ten European countries.
LCBI, the first pan-European standard for whole life-cycle carbon measurement of buildings, announces the launch of its dedicated certification for logistics assets in ten European countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Poland.
As one of the most dynamic real estate segments and a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, logistics assets had, until now, been without a dedicated European carbon-focused certification scheme, resulting in a proliferation of low-carbon claims with no verifiable basis.
LCBI Logistics addresses this gap by providing a unified European framework, including limit values, to measure and recognize low-carbon logistics assets, in line with 1.5°C decarbonization trajectories.
Since March 2025, LCBI has brought together a consortium of major real estate stakeholders to collaborate on the definition of a shared low-carbon standard across Europe: AEW, APRC Group, BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts, Baytree, GSE, Lidl, Virtuo Industrial Property, and more recently Groupe IDEC and STEF. Throughout the entire work, LCBI ensured continuous connection with the broader logistics industry through its strategic partnership with AFILOG.
Coordinated by the Technical Commission, led by ELAN, Artelia and Elioth, by Egis, LCBI Logistics is the culmination of a one-year collaborative work that achieved consensus on a unified approach. The methodology builds directly on the pioneering expertise of the BBCA Association, which brings over 10 years of experience in building-related carbon emissions.
The process was built on three pillars:
• Identifying best low-carbon practices for logistics assets, based on pilot project results and expert input
• Adapting the existing LCBI Framework to logistics assets, taking into account the
specificities of this market
• Building a collective approach through stakeholder consultations, pilot project findings and data analysis.
The methodology and the limit values were tested on eighteen case studies across Europe, allowing the LCBI team to collect concrete feedback from the teams implementing the certification scheme on the ground. Furthermore, One Click LCA
contributed by providing a dedicated dataset that served as a key basis for establishing carbon performance thresholds.
To ensure data robustness and independence of the certification process, projects will be certified by Certivea and Bureau Veritas, two recognized third-party certification bodies.
In line with LCBI’s mission to accelerate decarbonization, the complete LCBI methodology and certification tools are publicly available on the LCBI website.
This harmonized, pan-European methodology will provide a robust and reliable benchmark for low-carbon assets across Europe. For investors, it will facilitate low-carbon investment decisions; for project owners, it will accelerate the shift toward more sustainable practices.
To apply for the standard, stakeholders can contact LCBI directly or reach out to the
certifying bodies
A propos de LCBI
The Low Carbon Building Initiative was launched in 2022 by major players in the real estate sector (Generali Real Estate, Covivio, BPI Real Estate, BNP Paribas
Real Estate, Bouygues Immobilier, WO2, Icamap, NSI, Ivanhoé Cambridge and AXA IM Alts) and BBCA (the Association for the Development of Low-Carbon
Buildings). Its aim is to develop the low-carbon certification of real estate projects in Europe in order to hasten the decarbonisation of the sector. Based on key
European standards and benchmarks, the LCBI methodology serves to standardise the practice of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) throughout Europe. The LCBI
certification, audited by Bureau Veritas and CERTIVEA, takes account of the complete life cycle of buildings, and measures the carbon footprint as well as the
comprehensiveness of the LCA on three levels: grey carbon (emissions associated with construction) measured in kgCO2e/sq.m over 50 ans, carbon from use
(linked to consumption and energy sources) measured in kgCO2e/sq.m./year, and the measurement of biogenic carbon storage contained in the building
measured in kgCO2e/sq.m. The certification has three performance levels: Standard, Performance and Excellence.
