"Green" GOST and housing certification: what has changed for buyers and developers since July 1

On July 1, 2026, a new interstate standard GOST 35329-2026 for "green" apartment buildings entered into force in Russia. The document was developed by DOM.The Russian Federation replaced the previously valid national "green" GOST R 70346-2022 for the MCD and will also be applied in the EAEU countries. Along with that, the HOUSE.The Russian Federation and Roskachestvo are launching a system of voluntary certification of "green" buildings. What experts think about the innovation is in the Izvestia publication.

The struggle for "metal"

Updated based on the experience of implementing the project financing subsidy program with "green" criteria from DOM.The Russian Federation, which successfully operated from 2023 to 2025 and allowed for the subsidization of more than 1 million "green" square meters, GOST 35329-2026 contains 58 criteria. Among them are a high energy efficiency class (at least A), a barrier—free environment for low-mobility residents, landscaping of the surrounding area, accessibility of social infrastructure and public transport, improved noise insulation and insolation. The buildings will be assessed in ten categories, covering the site location, construction organization, energy efficiency, water use efficiency, quality of materials, proximity to transport and social infrastructure, and other aspects. Depending on the set of mandatory and voluntary criteria, residential buildings will be assigned a level of "Bronze", "Silver" or "Gold". In the Unified Housing Construction Information System (UISWS) The "Green House" indicator has already been implemented, according to which 226 apartment buildings at the design and construction stage preliminarily meet the basic criteria of the "Bronze" level — this is a "proxy" of those houses that can potentially successfully pass certification. But this is not an exhaustive list: developers should check the completeness and correctness of filling in the information in the Unified Housing System to make sure that the indication is (not) assigned correctly.

The standard has been sent to the national standardization bodies of the EAEU countries for its adoption as a national one. This will allow Russian developers, designers, manufacturers of building materials and other participants in the construction market to operate in the markets of neighboring countries according to uniform and transparent rules.

Director of the House for Sustainable Development and International Cooperation.Russian Federation Marina Slutskaya explains that the purpose of the HOUSE.The Russian Federation, as a developer, needed to create a working tool that fully meets the requirements of the modern market, improves the quality of multi-family housing and sets uniform guidelines throughout the EAEU.

— It is important that this standard has grown out of practice: in parallel with the formation of criteria, we tested them on residential buildings funded under our cluster program, — she notes. — As a result, the market has received a proven model that systematically improves the quality, energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of housing.

Why do I need voluntary certification?

house.On the sidelines of SPIEF 2026, the Russian Federation and Roskachestvo agreed to launch a voluntary certification of "green" housing. Roskachestvo will act as a certification body and will assess the compliance of facilities with "green" standards. The procedure is available for both planned and under construction facilities, as well as for already commissioned apartment buildings and individual housing projects.

Marina Slutskaya called the launch of the certification system an important stage in the development of energy-efficient and "green" construction in Russia. According to her, having developed together with the Ministry of Construction of Russia "green" national standards, the HOUSE.The Russian Federation has created a "coordinate system" for an objective assessment of buildings. In her opinion, the involvement of Roskachestvo guarantees the market confidence in an honest and transparent assessment according to uniform rules from a reliable counterparty.

—Now developers will be able to get an objective assessment of their projects in terms of "green" criteria from an accredited verifier, which will increase the trust of buyers, the relevant community, and the state in them," Slutskaya emphasizes.

Alexander Chumak, Deputy head of Roskachestvo, who directly supervised the project, notes that the HOUSE.The Russian Federation has done tremendous methodological work. In four years, a clear coordinate system has been created based on the best international experience, while adapted to Russian building regulations and climate. According to him, the industry turned out to be ready for transformation, which was confirmed by the pilot cluster program, where developers gained experience in building houses with classes A, A+ and A++. Now that the standard has appeared, the task of Roskachestvo is to act as an independent arbitrator and evaluate the objects of the maximum number of developers.

"The availability of accreditation, strict requirements for experts, and a transparent procedure allow us to ensure that the assessment is objective and the certificate is truly trustworthy," emphasizes Chumak.

Speaking about the parameters that are important for citizens, he highlighted four key aspects. The most understandable is the energy efficiency class, which makes heating bills noticeably lower. The second is acoustic comfort: the standard requires an air noise isolation index above the usual standards, which significantly increases the overall comfort level of living and reduces the psycho—emotional burden caused by external noise factors. The third is the layout and finishing: the area of a one—room apartment is at least 30 squares, a two—room apartment is from 45, the ceiling height is from 2.8 m in finishing, plus a number of projects provide for pre-finishing or finishing. And finally, the necessary infrastructure is within walking distance from the house — schools and kindergartens, clinics, bike parks, charging for electric vehicles.

— As a result, a person gets not just an apartment — he gets a reduction in utility bills, a healthy environment and comfort, — sums up Chumak.

For residents and developers

For buyers, the certificate confirms the quality of housing. As Marina Slutskaya explains, the assessment of buildings includes checking whether grocery stores, sports facilities and parks are within walking distance, that is, everything that is an integral part of the modern scenario of people's daily lives.

For developers, "green" certification is becoming a tool to increase competitiveness. The official confirmation of compliance with the standards increases the trust of consumers, investors and banks, increasing the investment attractiveness of projects. In addition, thanks to the Bank of Russia's support measures, financing of priority "green" projects has become more accessible. The Bank of Russia has introduced reducing risk factors for lending to houses with energy efficiency classes A+ and A++, which encourages banks to lend to such projects in greater volume and at a reduced rate.

Developers vote "for"

At the St. Petersburg Economic Forum HOUSE.The Russian Federation has extended the cooperation agreement with LEGENDA Holding. The Bank acted as the organizer, anchor investor and ESG consultant of three issues of LEGENDA's "green" instruments totaling 14 billion rubles. An agreement was also signed with the A101 group of companies on certification of one or more residential complexes according to the new GOST.

Vasily Selivanov, head of LEGENDA Holding, believes that today "green" certification is no longer a formality. According to him, this is a clear and verifiable indicator of the quality of the project.

"For the buyer, the certificate is not just a sign of compliance with the standard, but a confirmation that the declared characteristics have indeed passed an independent assessment," he notes. — As a result, the developer also wins. Such a project inspires more trust, retains its value better, and proves more resilient to market changes. Therefore, we are not talking about an additional burden, but about a tool that helps to confirm the quality of the project in a language understandable to the market.

Selivanov also emphasizes that an integrated approach is important in the new guest.

— Today it is no longer enough to meet several separate criteria. The quality of the project consists of a variety of solutions that must work together," explains the developer. — That is why the methodology evaluates the facility as a single system — from concept and design to construction, commissioning and subsequent life cycle of the building. This approach makes it possible to make more informed decisions on technologies, materials, and engineering solutions at an early stage. As a result, it helps to avoid unnecessary costs and get a better and more balanced project.

Speaking about the impact of the certificate on demand, Selivanov admits that the "green" certificate itself does not sell apartments, but "becomes an objective confirmation of the quality of the project, the level of comfort and compliance with modern requirements." And whether it will become a key factor in making a purchase decision depends on the consistent policy of developers to implement standards, reputation and strict methodology of the certifying authority, which guarantee transparency and indisputability of the assessment.

What is the result

According to Alexander Chumak, voluntary certification is becoming a competitive advantage for developers and a quality mark for buyers, because it translates marketing statements into facts certified by an accredited body. For a developer, the certificate can be taken into account by banks and development institutions when evaluating projects. For the buyer, the certificate is a simple guarantee and a signal that he will not overpay for communal services, will breathe clean air and live in silence.

— We are confident that in the next decade, "green" construction will become not a niche, but a generally accepted norm, and Roskachestvo together with the HOUSE.The Russian Federation is forming a toolkit for assessment and trust in the market," sums up Chumak.