“Per square meter” refers to useful internal floor area, per the EU Taxonomy definition.
In Table 2, Annex I of the document, under the section 'Indicators applicable to investments in real estate assets', the following is stated: 'Energy consumption in GWh of owned real estate assets per square meter'. What type of area does the phrase 'per square meter' refer to? In the case of buildings, we distinguish between several types of surface area, e.g. gross internal area (GIA), net internal area (NIA), useful floor area and more. It is very important when describing the area of a building to be clear about which measure is being used.
The criteria of the EU Taxonomy refer to “useful internal floor area” (activity 7.1 Construction of new buildings, footnote of the 3rd criteria for the substantial contribution). Directive 2024/1275 sets out a definition of useful floor area in Article 2(51).
European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs)
