A transnational multicriteria assessment method and tool for sustainability rating of the built environment

A new open access multicriteria European built environment assessment method and tool to support the assessment, planning and decision-making process for rating the sustainability of buildings and neighbourhoods was developed in the framework of a European project - CESBA MED. It addresses the main sustainability issues for buildings and neighbourhoods (e.g. site and infrastructure, urban systems, energy and natural resources, emissions and environment, service quality, social aspects, economy), which are described and quantified with an "exhaustive" list of sustainability criteria/indicators, including a small number of mandatory key performance indicators (KPIs) that represent the priority sustainability transnational issues. Six national versions of the tools have been developed and are available in different languages, which are contextualized to national (local) priorities, and were successfully assessed during pilot projects in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain. . The paper presents a short overview of the method, tools, KPIs and benchmarks, along with the main results from the pilots. The tools are envisioned to fit public administrations' needs at a lower cost compared to other market available commercial systems and offer sufficient flexibility for adaptation to local needs and priorities.