Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification services (TIC), has signed the first global verifier agreement to expand the reach and impact of the Building Resilience Index (BRI). Under this agreement, Bureau Veritas will serve as a verification partner for BRI across key emerging markets in Latin America, Africa, and East Asia and the Pacific.

An innovation of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, BRI is a web-based framework designed to help developers, investors, and policymakers identify risks to buildings posed by natural hazards and assess, improve, and disclose their resilience. Through this partnership with Bureau Veritas, BRI users will gain greater access to high-quality, third-party verification of climate-resilient construction practices, expanding trust and adoption of the tool in vulnerable regions where business continuity is increasingly threatened by extreme weather and related hazards.

"We are delighted to become a Global Verifier of the Building Resilience Index. As climate phenomena intensify, it has become essential to integrate climate change adaptation into assets strategy. The signing of our global agreement with the International Finance Corporation marks a crucial step,” said Marc Roussel, Executive Vice President, Urbanization and Assurance at Bureau Veritas. “Bureau Veritas has a long history as an independent third party mitigating natural and climate risks. Our network of experts will add a layer of trust so that stakeholders can rely on Building Resilience Index to evaluate vulnerability and effectiveness of adaptation strategies, worldwide.”

In recent years, physical risks such as floods, cyclones, heatwaves, fires, earthquakes and landslides have posed major threats to business operations, disrupting supply chains, displacing workers and jobs, hurting productivity, and impacting insurance and financing terms. The BRI-Bureau Veritas partnership responds to a growing demand from businesses and governments for reliable tools that support risk mitigation, asset protection, and long-term economic stability.

“As businesses face increased risks to assets and infrastructure from natural disasters, the ability to assess and verify resilience is becoming a crucial element of operational and investment strategy,” said Diep Nguyen-van Houtte, Senior Manager of Climate Business at IFC. “This partnership with Bureau Veritas strengthens the Building Resilience Index by ensuring that more clients—particularly in high-risk geographies—can benefit from credible, independently-verified insights into the resilience of their properties, adding a new tool to their climate adaptation arsenal.”

By offering third-party verification through Bureau Veritas, the Building Resilience Index helps stakeholders:

• Protect operational continuity by identifying risks early and designing for resilience
• Safeguard jobs and livelihoods by minimizing disruption in vulnerable communities
• Enhance access to capital through better risk ratings and insurance alignment
• Improve public trust and accountability through independent performance validation

This partnership builds on IFC’s broader commitment to integrating adaptation into private sector development and enabling practical, market-driven solutions for climate resilience.

BRI is funded by the Australian Government and was developed and piloted with seed funding from the Government of the Netherlands and the Rockefeller Foundation, in cooperation with leading organizations including the ARISE Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, Build Change, FM Global, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, Miyamoto International, and Resilience Action Fund.

About Bureau Veritas:

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in inspection, certification, and laboratory testing services with a powerful purpose: to shape a world of trust by ensuring responsible progress. With a vision to be the preferred partner for customers’ excellence and sustainability, the company innovates to help them navigate change.
Created in 1828, Bureau Veritas’ 84,000 employees deliver services in 140 countries. The company’s technical experts support customers to address challenges in quality, health and safety, environmental protection, and sustainability.
Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG, SBF 120 indices and is part of the CAC SBT 1.5° index. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI.

For more information, visit http://www.bureauveritas.com, and follow us on LinkedIn.

About IFC:

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2024, IFC committed a record $56 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions and mobilizing private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.