Insights from Our Associate Director: How BREEAM V7 Leads The Industry on Sustainable Buildings

BREEAM since it’s inception has always been an industry leading methodology when it comes to assessing the green credentials of buildings, with each methodology update pushing the bar even further to ensure that pertinent and effective issues remain at the forefront of the assessment.

The research and innovation led assessment criteria is what allows BREEAM to be what we believe the most effective environmental assessment methodology in the built environment.

BREEAM continues to drive performance through design and construction stages – regardless of building type, space use, building age or performance – to deliver better performing buildings that minimise environmental impacts, support occupant health and wellbeing and create, grow and protect financial value.

New V7 Methodology

On 01/08/2024 BRE pre-released the new BREEAM NC Version 7 technical manuals for public feedback. This pre-release outlined the changes that are coming into the new V& methodology which is due for release later this year. This updated methodology has been developed to provided even greater emphasis and alignment with industry objectives which require reductions in ‘Operational, embodied, refrigerant, and transportation emissions addressing whole life carbon across the building lifecycle.’ With this alignment, a number of changes have been made to the technical guidance across the assessment issues. A summary of these main changes are;

• Changes to minimum standards for Excellent and Outstanding graded assessments:
• Embodied Carbon assessment and benchmarking (Mat 01)
• Operational energy and carbon benchmarks have been updated and projects will have to complete Predictive Energy Modelling (Ene 01 and Ene 02)
• BREEAM Outstanding buildings will have to either use No refrigerants or assess refrigerant gasses (Pol 01)
• Reductions in Water consumption will continue to have minimum standards. For V7 the calculations will also apply a carbon factor to water to cover the entire scope of Whole Life Carbon
• Health and Wellbeing Minimum Standards for Daylighting
• buildings will be required to have a Smoking ban in place, where it is not already prohibited by law

• The building types that can be assessed under BREEAM have been refined to better align with real estate market trends.
• BREEAM Rating boundaries will be aligned between all BREEAM methodologies to allow for greater comparability throughout all assessed assets in the built environment
• Increased alignment with EU Taxonomy
• Introduction of new assessment issues in the following categories;
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Energy
  • Water

• Changes to assessment issues in every section of the methodology to improve clarity and ease of assessment
• Removal of Simple Building Assessment Type (UK only)

Benefits of the new BREEAM UKNC V7 Methodology

The new methodology provides numerous benefits to all stakeholders, with the new criteria providing greater clarity into the requirements to achieve BREEAM certification, and the greater alignment with relevant ESG targets. This update provides investors, developers/owners, and specifiers with assurance that they are on track with net zero targets, help contribute to ESG goals, and drive sales and rental values.

Most importantly, BREEAM UKNC V7 will continue to drive sustainable building performance throughout the design & construction of new buildings, and help create a holistic & sustainable built environment.