EDGE Certified: Learn all about these sustainable buildings!

The EDGE certificate is starting to gain ground in the Brazilian market and today it is possible to rent and live in a sustainable building without spending much!

Discover Citas' EDGE Certified units!

With all the concern about sustainable development , technology has already proven to be an ally when it comes to creating new ways of living.

The EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) application provides all the necessary basis for designing sustainable structures.

EDGE is an IFC (International Finance Corporation) initiative that promotes economic development by stimulating private sector growth.

Do you want to know about EDGE-certified buildings and EDGE's relationship with ESG ? Just read the content we have prepared for you until the end.

What is the EDGE Certificate?

Present in more than 170 countries, the EDGE application offers all the necessary structure for the certification of sustainable buildings.

The IFC created the EDGE application as a way to create a reliable solution for creating sustainable structures within more affordable housing. The real estate market already worked with other certifications, such as LEED, but they were largely focused on high-end buildings, generally corporate ones. Thus, EDGE came to encourage a whole new type of market: the sustainable housing market.

With EDGE innovation, IFC offers leaders in the construction industry opportunities to gain an edge in creating sustainable structures.

With the advancement of technology in the construction industry and the use of EDGE, all buildings can be sustainable. EDGE enables public buildings to be designed and used sustainably.

EDGE works with a cloud-based system that is used to calculate costs and the best ways to create a sustainable structure. The mechanism uses an advanced study of climates and costs based on the various countries in which the application is available.

The EDGE initiative has been growing steadily since its inception in 2014. The initiative was initially funded by SECO (Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) and currently receives funding from the UK government.

Other countries helping to fund the EDGE initiative are: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary and Japan.

In addition, a global network of experts on environmental issues such as the GEF (Global Environment Facility) and ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program) also participate as financiers of the initiative.

A member of the World Bank Group, IFC aims to promote economic development in developing countries.

Through private enterprise, IFC's mission is to create jobs and improve living standards for people in developing countries.

EDGE sustainable housing

For a building to follow EDGE standards, it needs to go beyond sustainable architecture ; it needs to present minimum efficiency standards:

• Energy costs are at least 20% lower;
• Water consumption is at least 20% lower;
• Material costs are at least 20% lower.

To achieve the EDGE standard, your construction must cost at least 20% less than a standard construction.

By material expenditure we do not mean the cost of these materials, but rather the energy and resources used to manufacture these materials.

For example, your project will have a much higher percentage in terms of materials if sustainable materials are used.

In the app, all the options available to reduce expenses are the result of a study and an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of each country.

In this way, a complete calculation is made to facilitate the viability of the work and the costs for its completion. With EDGE, it is even possible to know how long it will take for your work to have a return on investment.

EDGE works for both commercial and public buildings as well as homes and residential buildings. With this evolution, living or working in sustainable buildings will become a reality for more and more people.

With advances in construction technology, it is necessary to find new ways to build sustainably. EDGE is a valuable tool to make sustainability accessible.

Living and even working in sustainable environments will become not only a trend, but a necessity. And it is in this scenario that EDGE becomes a means of enabling this transition to be made in the best possible way.

What is ESG and how does it relate to the EDGE Certificate?

The acronym ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is used to refer to companies that apply the best environmental, social and governance practices.

With the creation of ESG, sustainability and profitability are no longer considered separately.

In short, ESG has a series of criteria to help investors and investment fund managers choose assets. But as mentioned above, profitability and sustainability have become essential.

The criteria used in ESG and which are part of the acronym are:

• Environmental: this area includes all aspects related to the environment, such as sustainability, environmental preservation, reduction of CO2 emissions, use of natural resources, etc.
• Social: in the social area, factors such as workplace safety, employee health and well-being, as well as inclusion and diversity programs are discussed.
• Governance: this is the area responsible for transparent accountability, in addition to efforts to combat corruption and prioritize ethics within companies.

ESG has become a highlight in the financial market and companies that practice these criteria have become a reference in the global market.

Since construction has a major impact on the environment, ESG has emerged as a positive influence for investors. With the increasing changes and developments in the construction industry, professionals in the field need to evolve to keep up with market trends.

Following ESG criteria in construction companies means creating more sustainable structures. To create these sustainable structures, EDGE works as a strong ally when it comes to obtaining environmental certification.

With this environmental certification and the use of the EDGE application, the process of planning a sustainable structure becomes more practical.

Therefore, using ESG criteria together with the innovation proposed by EDGE will allow the future of civil construction to be sustainable.

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