German Sustainable Building Council
The task of the German Sustainable Building Council is to point out and advance paths and solutions for sustainable building. This includes the planning of buildings, but also their construction and operation. The DGNB considers itself to be the central German organization for exchange of knowledge, professional training, and for a raising public awareness for this future-oriented part of the building sector. The focus of the DGNB is on awarding the certification for sustainable building. The first time the Sustainable Building Certification was awarded was at the BAU 2009 in Munich. Initially, it was awarded for the system variation “New Construction Office and Administration, Version 2008”.
Sustainable building means to build intelligently: The focus is on a comprehensive quality concept that serves the building and real estate sectors, as well as society in general. Sustainable properties are beneficial to the environment, conserve resources, comfortable and healthy for their users, and fit optimally into their socio-cultural surroundings. In the same way, they stand for economic efficiency and long-term value-retention. Sustainable properties are cost effective due to their lower operation and maintenance costs. The manageable additional planning and construction costs will usually amortize in a few years.