Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology, USA (BREEAM INT New Construction Version 7)

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology, USA (BREEAM INT New Construction Version 7)

Background

The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) was first developed in 1990 in the United Kingdom. Since the initial version, BREEAM has released a series of updated versions and expanded its reach to more countries, including North America. The most recent version (version 7) was released in 2025. BREEAM has stated that each new version has “evolved to reflect the latest building science to help our clients deliver and validate the sustainability value of their assets cost effectively and to an internationally recognized and robust standard.”

BREEAM International New Construction can be used to assess the design, construction, intended use, and resilience of new building developments. The green building standard also considers the natural and human-created environment surrounding the building. BREEAM utilizes a holistic approach to sustainability based on science and research reviewed by the organization. It also has requirements for measurement and verification of building performance to ensure the anticipated value has been provided. BREEAM’s green rating system emphasizes consideration of impacts and costs utilizing a lifecycle perspective and provides credits to reward minimizing impact during both construction and operations.

BREEAM’s rating system includes five rating categories: Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, and Outstanding. These ratings are intended to reflect how much better a building is improved beyond standard practice. The higher the rating, the more aspirational the performance. BREEAM indicates that only 1% of newly constructed buildings in the world would be expected to achieve an Outstanding rating, 10% of buildings an Excellent rating, 25% of buildings a Very Good rating, and 50% a Good rating. Certification can be issued at the Design Stage, noted as an interim BREEAM rating, with a final rating provided after construction is completed and the as-built performance of the building has been confirmed.

The BREEAM New Construction standard is divided into 10 issue categories: Energy, Health & Wellbeing, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use & Ecology, Pollution, Management, and Innovation. The BREEAM standard attempts to provide flexibility to project teams depending on the project’s location and the desired rating category being targeted. This flexibility is provided in two primary ways:

1. Categories are weighted to reflect the importance of those categories to the region in which the project is located.

For most international locations, category weightings are typically set at a countrywide level but because of the scale, the US has been divided into 10 different regions, as shown in Figure 1. Each of these regions have their own environmental category weightings and referenced standards. The regions have been established based on a consideration of climate, energy use, transport availability, population density, ecology and other factors. The intent of this regional approach is to ensure that certified projects exceed local regulations and meet international best practice.

Figure 1: BREEAM USA Regions

2. Minimum standards are linked to the five rating categories.

There are minimum standards of performance in key areas that must be met to achieve each rating category, irrespective of the overall BREEAM score. These minimum standards ensure that a broad approach to sustainability performance must be undertaken to be awarded the higher ratings in the program.

Summary of Credits

Summary of Issues Related to Embodied Carbon

Issue Ref	Credit Title	Credit Required or Optional	Achievable credits	Probability of Embodied Carbon Reduction
Mat 01	Building life cycle assessment	Required to achieve Excellent	Up to 7 + 3 exemplary	Almost certainly
Mat 02	Environmental product declarations (EPD)	Optional	1 credit	Sometimes
Mat 03	Legally harvested and traded timber	Required	Prerequisite	Usually
Mat 03	Enabling sustainable procurement and measuring responsible sourcing	Optional	4 + exemplary credit	Usually
Mat 05	Material efficiency	Optional	1 credit	Usually
Wst 01	Pre-demolition audit	Required to Achieve Outstanding	1 credit	Sometimes
Wst 01	Construction resource efficiency	Optional	2 credits	Sometimes
Wst 01	Diversion from landfill	Optional	1 + exemplary credit	Sometimes
Wst 06	Disassembly and adaptability	Optional	2 credits	Sometimes

Mat 01 - Building Life Cycle Assessment

To optimize the use of materials and reduce the environmental burden of construction products over the life cycle of the building. Teams completing this credit will learn where the embodied carbon hotspots in their projects are and can work to address them. Projects that exceed the embodied carbon thresholds in the benchmark comparison have demonstrably superior performance.

Credits are awarded as follows:

Two credits for early design LCA and embodied carbon reporting
One credit for technical design LCA and embodied carbon reporting
Two credits for a post-construction LCA and embodied carbon reporting based on materials actually incorporated into the building.
Up to two credits (+1 exemplary) for an embodied carbon benchmark comparison.
One exemplary credit for third-party verification of the LCA.
One exemplary credit for embodied carbon public data disclosure.

The LCA must use a tool recognized by BREEAM. The current list of tools accepted by BREEAM can be found here. The BREEAM recognition process is agnostic and any approved tool can apply. Results for all core environmental impacts reported by the LCA tool must be submitted. Required life-cycle stages are A1-A5, B1-B5, C1-C4, and D. The LCA must include all building systems required by the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment Standard, including structure, envelope, finishes, and MEP.

Mat 02 Environmental product declarations (EPD)

To encourage the availability of robust and comparable data on the impacts of construction products through the provision of environmental product declarations (EPDs). While simply collecting EPDs does not in and of itself reduce embodied carbon, teams can use the data to select lower embodied carbon materials.

Awards one credit for specifying construction products with EPDs that achieve at least 20 EPD points, defined as:

0.5 points for EPDs applicable to more than one product and more than one manufacturer.
0.75 points for EPDs from a single manufacturer applicable to more than one product.
1.5 points for EPDs applicable to a single product from a single manufacturer.

No more than 4 points are allowed for a given material category (e.g. concrete, metal, gypsum, etc.).

Mat 03 Responsible sourcing of construction products

To ensure construction products that end up in the completed asset minimise negative environmental, economic, and social impacts across their supply chain.

Legally harvested and traded timber (prerequisite)

All timber and timber-based products used on the project must be legally harvested and traded timber.

Sustainable procurement plan (1 credit)

To recognize and encourage the specification and procurement of responsibly sourced construction products. The plan must include sustainability aims, objectives, and strategic targets. Teams may opt to include low-embodied-carbon materials as a procurement objective. The policy must include local sourcing where possible.

Local sourcing usually reduces transportation carbon emissions.

Measuring responsible sourcing (up to 3 credits + 1 exemplary)

Recognizes use of certified materials. BREEAM’s list of acceptable certification schemes include but is not limited to Concrete Sustainability Council, FSC, PEFC, SFI, and Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Some of these schemes address embodied carbon explicitly or implicitly.

One credit for achieving at least 10% of available points for superstructure.
Two credits for achieving at least 20% of available points for superstructure, internal finishes, substructure, and hard landscaping.
Three credits for achieving at least 30% of available points for superstructure, internal finishes, substructure, and hard landscaping.
Three credits plus one exemplary credit for achieving at least 50% of available points for above systems plus core building services (HVAC).

The available points are based on the number of material categories in the project. There are 10 material categories (e.g. timber, metal, concrete) and each category is worth up to 10 points. If there were only three material categories in a building, the maximum available points would be 30, and 1 credit would be awarded for 10% of 30 points, or 3 points. The full list of recognized response sourcing schemes is accessible by recognized BREEAM professionals or by contacting the BREEAM USA team (BREEAMUSA@bregroup.com)

Mat 05 Material efficiency

Materials efficiency (1 credit)

To recognize and encourage measures to optimize material efficiency to minimize the environmental impact of material use and waste without compromising on structural stability, durability, or service life of the building. Teams should apply this strategy to their structural designs to reduce structural material quantities.

One credit is available if material efficiencies are considered at each work stage. In the “Preparation and Brief” stage (equivalent to “Pre-Design” stage in the U.S.), a dedicated material efficiency report is required for setting goals and activities throughout the project. Workshops are required during the Concept Design stage. At later stages evidence must be provided that goals are being met.

Wst 01 Construction waste management

Pre-demolition audit (1 credit)

A pre-demolition audit of any existing buildings, structures, or hard surfaces must be completed to determine if refurbishment or reuse is feasible and, if not, to maximize the recovery of material from demolition for subsequent use, prioritizing high grade or value applications.

Embodied carbon impacts of reused materials are usually much smaller than the impacts of new materials, as the only production emissions are due to refabrication (if needed) and transportation.

Construction resource efficiency (up to 2 credits)

One credit is awarded for preparing a resource management plan (RMP) that aims to promote resource efficiency and to prevent illegal waste activities. Resource efficiency includes minimizing waste at source and ensuring that clients, designers, and principal contractors assess the use, reuse, and recycling of materials and products on site and off site. Teams must include a target benchmark for resource efficiency and establish procedures to estimate, monitor, measure, and report site and demolition waste. Teams should focus on reuse to have the largest impact on embodied carbon.

A second credit is awarded for establishing procedures for sorting, reusing, and recycling construction waste into at least five defined waste groups either on- or off-site. These waste groups may include concrete, timber, and metals.

Diversion of resources from landfill (1 credit + 1 exemplary credit)

A significant quantity of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste (where applicable) generated by the project has been diverted from landfill. Teams must compare their construction and demolition waste diversion rates to national averages. This credit reduces embodied carbon if the waste is diverted for reuse (supplanting new materials) or recycling (supplanting virgin resources).

Construction Waste: If the national average diversion rate is less than 50%, the team must exceed 60% diversion (by weight) for 1 credit and 75% diversion for the exemplary credit. If the national diversion rate is over 50%, the team must exceed this diversion rate by at least 10% for 1 credit and 35% (up to 95%) for the exemplary credit.
Demolition Waste: If the national average diversion rate is less than 60%, the team must exceed 70% diversion (by weight) for 1 credit and 75% for the exemplary credit. If the national diversion rate is over 60%, the team must exceed this diversion rate by at least 10% for 1 credit and exceed 95% for the exemplary credit.

Wst 06 Disassembly and adaptability

Design for disassembly and adaptability can increase building life, potentially postponing the need for replacement with a new building. It can also facilitate material reuse at the end of life, thereby displacing new materials. This credit therefore does not necessarily reduce the embodied carbon of the current project, but it does address future carbon emissions.

Design for disassembly and adaptability – Recommendations (1 credit)

By the end of Concept Design, conduct a study to explore the disassembly and adaptation potential of different design scenarios, and develop solutions based on the study that allow disassembly and adaptability.

The adaptability study and solutions must address:

Versatility (the ability of spaces to accommodate changes in use);
Convertibility (the ability to accommodate more significant changes without affecting building structure); and
Expandability (design to accommodate substantial changes and additions)

The disassembly study and solutions must address:

Access to components and services;
Independence of systems;
Avoidance of unnecessary treatments and finishes;
Supporting re-use business models;
Simplicity;
Standardization; and
Safety of disassembly

Design for disassembly and adaptability – Implementation (1 credit)

During Technical Design, report how the developed solutions have been implemented and produce a design for disassembly and adaptability manual for the building. The manual must communicate the disassembly and adaptability principles to prospective owners and operators. The manual must include:

Design details documenting disassembly methods, material composition, recovery methods, and adaptable design features;
Material constituents and manufacturers; and
Connection details

EMBODIED CARBON IN GREEN RATING SYSTEMS