The non-profit association is the body that awards "Green Home" certificates, supports environmentally responsible construction, and encourages "green" financing.
In the last decade, RoGBC has been a pioneer in promoting and certifying "green buildings" (with Green Home certification or other similar certifications such as BREEAM and LEED), amidst growing interest in new environmentally friendly construction technologies, new approaches in architecture and design, along with new green financing opportunities.
In 2013, RoGBC, alongside Raiffeisen Bank, launched the first such financing program called "Green Mortgage". For a real estate project to be included in this program, it was necessary to receive Green Homes certification from RoGBC, awarded for meeting criteria such as increased energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, aspects aimed at reducing risks for the owner and the lending bank, which can lower financing costs.
Subsequently, the association's pioneering program, "Green Homes & Green Real Estate Loans," has been recognized as a best practice in Europe and is supported by the EU through the "SMARTER Finance for Families" initiative, coordinated by RoGBC. This program is being implemented in 14 other countries and supports the development of green banking products with preferential interest rates for certified green homes.
"A Green Homes-certified building ensures increased comfort for the owner, being constructed from environmentally friendly materials, but it also brings financial benefits: its value increases more rapidly than that of a traditionally built home while generating savings on energy costs and bank interest. Due to these advantages, interest in green buildings is growing worldwide, and Romania not only does not deviate from the global trend but also ranks among the leading European countries where investments in green buildings are increasing. Buyers, developers, banks, and other financiers - everyone is interested in this type of building. Office buildings are no longer being constructed without green certification, and soon there will be no residential projects without meeting these criteria. We are available to all those interested to support them in meeting the criteria necessary for Green Home certification and obtaining green financing," said Andrei Botiş, President of the Romania Green Building Council (RoGBC) and CEO of Appraisal & Valuation (NAI Romania).
A green building implements a series of sustainability criteria related to resource conservation by: the principles of the circular economy, the use of ecological materials, optimizing water consumption, promoting sustainable transportation, protecting biodiversity, safeguarding human health by ensuring a superior indoor environment quality, monitoring energy consumption, and educating residents about environmentally responsible behavior.
Since this spring, the RoGBC Board of Directors has consisted of a President (Andrei Botiş being elected for the third consecutive term), assisted by a Vice President (Elena Rastei, Sustainability Specialist), and three other members: Dorin Beu (Professor, Technical University of Transylvania), Oana Cojocaru (Director of Sustainability at GlobalWorth), and Daniel Butucel (Managing Partner, Miradex Wooden Buildings).
