The partnership will promote IFC’s EDGE green building standard to scale sustainable building design and construction in the region.

Sintali and ZEB are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) to promote EDGE, the green building certification program launched by the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), a member of the World Bank Group. The partnership will provide Greek companies with the expertise and support needed on the ground to reach net zero in a transparent, cost-effective and verifiable manner.

EDGE is an internationally recognised green building standard that focuses on resource efficiency. The EDGE green building standard has been available in the Greek market since 2018. To date, there are already over 220 EDGE certified buildings in Greece, including buildings that meet the EDGE Zero Carbon standard.

‘The biggest challenge in Greece isn’t new buildings, but existing buildings. The majority of the existing building stock in the country needs retrofit to improve the energy efficiency profile and reduce the carbon emissions. EDGE offers a resource-efficient solution that can scale for portfolio owners, something which is clearly missing in the market today. We feel confident that with ZEB as our partners we can support the country’s transition to net zero and make a meaningful impact on the real estate sector,” says Eleni Polychroniadou, co-founder of Sintali.

ZEB provides services for reducing the energy and carbon footprint in cities, buildings and facilities guaranteeing operational cost minimization and performance optimization. ZEB has adopted internationally recognized good practices, with the aim of transparency and responsible operation in all areas of its activity. The team at ZEB will advise clients on how to meet the EDGE standard, maximise on energy efficiency savings, and deliver results in a simple and streamlined manner.

Aris Papadopoulos, President and CEO of ZEB stated, “We are more than excited to collaborate with a company that strongly believes that every building can be green. Aiming at the best possible energy performance, ZEB and Sintali lead together a sustainable future country reducing environmental impact by achieving Zero Energy Buildings.”

The Greek construction sector was worth $8.7 billion in 2021. As the largest recipient of funds through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility in terms of percentage and annual GDP, the Greek government has set sustainability as a key part of its resilience and recovery moving forward. Improving the energy efficiency of the country’s building stock is a strategic pillar in the recovery plan.

About ZEB

Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) was established in 2012 based on the institutional framework for Energy Service Companies (ESCO ) and has deep knowledge in the study, design and installation services for energy management and saving solutions in non-residential buildings. From consultancy support, energy audits and performance contracts to helping clients access funding for their infrastructure projects, ZEB has strong expertise in the green building sector and is highly committed to Leading the efforts towards a sustainable future. For more information, visit www.zeb.gr

About Sintali

Sintali is an environmental verification body, which was founded to verify the impact of the built environment around the world. Sintali acts as a global certification partner for IFC’s EDGE green building program, transforming the built environment and creating a pathway to ensure that every building on this planet is green. With deep expertise in the development of green building standards and corporate sustainability, Sintali brings transparency and rigor to the sustainability realm. For more information, visit www.sintali.com

About EDGE

An innovation of IFC, EDGE helps property developers to build and brand green in a fast, easy and affordable way. EDGE is supported by free software that encourages solutions to reduce energy, water and the energy used to make building materials by at least 20 percent, which is the standard for EDGE certification. The program has been generously supported by the following donors: Austria, Canada, Denmark, ESMAP, EU, Finland, GEF, Hungary, Japan and Switzerland. For more information, visit www.edgebuildings.com