Cosmin Cotora is Director of International Development and a member of the Management Committee at CERTIVEA, where he supports the international deployment of certification and labelling solutions for sustainable buildings, infrastructure and urban development. His work focuses on environmental performance, decarbonisation, and adapting certification frameworks to different national contexts. He also serves as Treasurer of the Climate Positive Europe Alliance (CPEA), contributing to European collaboration on a sustainable, climate-positive built environment.

In this Expert Talk, Mr Cotora discusses how certification supports high-performance buildings beyond demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements. The conversation considers how certification tools can help connect energy efficiency with other aspects of building performance, including indoor environmental quality, climate resilience, smartness and user comfort. It also explores how these frameworks can contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of building performance across different stages of a building’s life cycle.

From an investment and renovation perspective, the interview further examines whether certification can help demonstrate life-cycle performance, economic viability and reduced risk. The discussion also considers how Building Renovation Passports and operational certifications can be better used to support deep renovation, bringing together questions of building performance, investment, certification and long-term improvement within the wider context of Europe’s building transition.

The BUILD UP Expert Talks series is an initiative of the BUILD UP portal and features face-to-face interviews with experts from across Europe, offering diverse perspectives on key topics related to energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. These interviews align with the Topic of the Month and explore it in depth, providing valuable insights, experiences, and expertise to the BUILD UP audience.