BREEAM: An Overview

Sustainability is one of the fastest growing elements within the built environment.

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) sets a standard for the design, construction and operation of all building types (see HQM for residential new construction) to ensure sustainability is considered at an early stage.

Why should you use BREEAM?

More and more councils are requiring BREEAM certification as part of their planning requirements. The 'Excellent' rating is often requested as a minimum standard. Many clients choose BREEAM despite there not being a legal requirement to do so because it offers a range of advantages.

Which BREEAM Scheme is right for you?

• BREEAM in Use: Asset owners certify their buildings and management procedures to the BREEAM standard. This scheme is preferred by real estate portfolio managers for its alignment with the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).
• BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit out: Owners renovate existing buildings undergoing major refurbishment or fit out works to BREEAM standards, allowing tenants to certify their fit out.
• BREEAM New Construction: Developers use this scheme for new buildings in the UK.
• BREEAM International New Construction: Projects outside the UK (except countries with a National Scheme Operator) use this scheme.

BREEAM Version 7 (V7)

Launched in Summer 2025, V7 raises sustainability benchmarks across a building’s lifecycle by incorporating the latest energy and carbon industry standards and enhancing alignment with the EU taxonomy.

V7 brings progressive changes to all BREEAM assessments, involving New Construction (NC), Refurbishment and Fit-out (RFO), and Building In-Use (BIU).

Each category has been refined, with the most significant changes in Health & Wellbeing, Energy and Materials. V7 introduces new minimum standards, which have shifted category weightings, and simplified the assessment process to optimise building resilience and enable projects to achieve Excellent or Outstanding ratings.

The key changes include:

• New minimum standards in Materials, Energy, Pollution and Water (Mat 01, Ene 01, Wat 05, Pol 01) address the full scope of whole life carbon
• Updates to Health & Wellbeing criteria (Hea 01-06) enhance focus on closing performance gaps in daylight, glare, indoor air quality, thermal comfort and acoustics
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) is more essential for assessing materials (Mat 01), while early-stage credits are now more accessible
• Energy (Ene 01-04) places a greater emphasis on predictive operational energy modelling, renewable integration and low/zero carbon design to support the net zero transition
• Updated UK benchmarks to match England’s Biodiversity Net Gain law (Le 04)
• Mixed-use schemes can now undergo a single, integrated assessment, streamlining the process and reducing costs

What this means for you

With V7’s heightened standards for delivering sustainable buildings, a holistic, early-stage assessment alongside your design process is key. Our BREEAM Accredited Professionals can appraise your project and guide you through the revised methodology to help you secure your target rating.

Registration for BREEAM New Construction V6 closes on 27 January 2026. After this date, all new projects will need to sign up under V7.

How can we help?

Amidst mounting pressure for companies within the property sector to minimise environmental impact and implement carbon reduction plans, BREEAM stands out as a leading tool in guiding them on their Net Zero Carbon journey. Our team of specialist assessors provide comprehensive support, from project inception to completion, assisting clients in identifying and addressing building performance gaps across the project lifecycle.