What Is BREEAM?

BREEAM provides clients, developers, designers and others with

• market recognition for low environmental impact buildings
• assurance that best environmental practice is incorporated into a building
• inspiration to find innovative solutions that minimise the environmental impact
• a benchmark that is higher than regulation
• a tool to help reduce running costs, improve working and living environments
• a standard that demonstrates progress towards corporate and organisational environmental objectives

BREEAM addresses wide-ranging environmental and sustainability issues and enables developers and designers to prove the environmental credentials of their buildings to planners and clients. It:

• uses a straightforward scoring system that is transparent, easy to understand and supported by evidence-based research
• has a positive influence on the design, construction and management of buildings
• sets and maintains a robust technical standard with rigorous quality assurance and certification

A Common Carbon Language For All

Today the world’s leading green building organisations have reached a ground-breaking agreement to adopt a common global language for the measurement of the carbon footprint of buildings

Just weeks ahead of COP15 in Copenhagen, this is a critical and timely step that will enable the world to realise the unparalleled, cost-effective carbon mitigation potential of buildings, which account for around 40% of the world’s energy use and 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The ‘common carbon metric’ will be piloted by the leading green building rating tools, and made available to all those who are dedicated to promoting the understanding and development of a green, low-carbon and sustainable built environment.

The metric is recognised by the UNEP Sustainable Building and Climate Initiative, and will be highlighted before decision-makers at the conference in Copenhagen in December.

Tony Arnel, Chair of the World Green Building Council said:

“The significance of this agreement should not be underestimated. The coming together of so many leading green building organisations is unprecedented and appropriate at this critical moment in the world’s response to the global challenge of climate change. Buildings account for a third of global carbon emissions and as the IPCC has demonstrated, provide by far the most cost-effective carbon reduction potential. The World GBC is delighted to have been able to play a part in this historic development and to welcome BREEAM to work in partnership with the family of leading rating tools operated by Green Building Councils.”

Donna McIntire, Program Officer for Buildings and Climate Change, the UNEP Sustainable Building and Climate Initiative (SBCI) said:

“UNEP is delighted to represent the importance of this work in Copenhagen through its Sustainable Building & Climate Initiative to support the critical role of buildings in reducing carbon emissions. This common carbon metric are the keys to consistent measurement and reporting of performance - opening the door for flexible mechanisms and entry into the carbon market. This agreement around this common carbon metric is timely and poised to transform the building sector to a position of true leadership for the development of a sustainable built environment.”

Alfonso Ponce, Secretary of the Sustainable Building Alliance (SB Alliance) said:

“This represents an important moment in the evolution of the science and practice of green building. A coming together of technical minds, worldwide experience and a collaboration of organisations with global reach, provide a robust and dynamic launch pad to take buildings to the heart of global carbon mitigation action.”

BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building’s environmental performance.