What is BREEAM certification and why is it important?
As construction seeks to be more sustainable in light of the net zero targets, you may have seen that certain projects are being given BREEAM certification.
Whenever we see something has certification, we assume it is good, but what exactly does BREEAM certification mean and why is it important?
In this article, we will explore what it stands for and why it is being seen as integral to the overall construction net zero goal.
BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, which given its length, makes sense to have an acronym!
Essentially, it assesses how environmentally sound buildings are and how sustainable the practices have been for their development.
This doesn’t only include the building process, but also things like waste management and pollution prevention.
Gaining BREEAM certification is a five-step process that is easy enough to put the wheels in motion for and can all be done online.
First, you have to find a licenced BREEAM assessor Once that is secured, you can then register your project for BREEAM assessment. The next step is the assessment itself Then a quality assurance check of the assessment itself is carried out. If the assessment and the quality assurance check is all in good order, then you will receive your BREEAM certification!
It entirely depends on your score. BREEAM certification is graded into six categories, which operate as star ratings.
If the project scores under 30%, it will be given a zero-star rating and branded unclassified. If it is between 30 and 44%, it’ll be given a one-star ‘pass’ rating, if it’s between 45 and 54%, it’s a two-star ‘good’ rating.
The top three are the ones you’d want, with 55% to 69% being a three-star ‘very good’ rating, while 70% to 84% is a four-star ‘excellent’ rating. Top of the tree is an 85% or higher percentage, which gives you a five-star ‘outstanding’ rating.
Naturally, if you have a four or five-star certificate, that would mean that the project was an incredibly sustainable process and that would be great for hitting net zero targets, in addition to aiding the environment.
It would also reflect well on you, as it would show you are using forward-thinking measures on a development that can increase its asset value thanks to its better-performing assets.
The net-zero target for 2050 is something that the entire construction industry is striving to achieve and with strong BREEAM certification, that goal will be easier to achieve.
There are 550,000 buildings and counting with positive BREEAM certification across the world, as net-zero becomes more and more important. To see this growing in the UK is definitely a good thing.
At Multifix, we are putting further emphasis on sustainability to do our bit for the net-zero goals. You can find out about our recent sustainability pledge with Ecoligi here.
Whenever we see something has certification, we assume it is good, but what exactly does BREEAM certification mean and why is it important?
In this article, we will explore what it stands for and why it is being seen as integral to the overall construction net zero goal.
Firstly, what is BREEAM and what does it stand for?
BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, which given its length, makes sense to have an acronym!
Essentially, it assesses how environmentally sound buildings are and how sustainable the practices have been for their development.
This doesn’t only include the building process, but also things like waste management and pollution prevention.
Is it easy to gain BREEAM certification?
Gaining BREEAM certification is a five-step process that is easy enough to put the wheels in motion for and can all be done online.
First, you have to find a licenced BREEAM assessor Once that is secured, you can then register your project for BREEAM assessment. The next step is the assessment itself Then a quality assurance check of the assessment itself is carried out. If the assessment and the quality assurance check is all in good order, then you will receive your BREEAM certification!
What does having BREEAM certification actually mean?
It entirely depends on your score. BREEAM certification is graded into six categories, which operate as star ratings.
If the project scores under 30%, it will be given a zero-star rating and branded unclassified. If it is between 30 and 44%, it’ll be given a one-star ‘pass’ rating, if it’s between 45 and 54%, it’s a two-star ‘good’ rating.
The top three are the ones you’d want, with 55% to 69% being a three-star ‘very good’ rating, while 70% to 84% is a four-star ‘excellent’ rating. Top of the tree is an 85% or higher percentage, which gives you a five-star ‘outstanding’ rating.
Naturally, if you have a four or five-star certificate, that would mean that the project was an incredibly sustainable process and that would be great for hitting net zero targets, in addition to aiding the environment.
It would also reflect well on you, as it would show you are using forward-thinking measures on a development that can increase its asset value thanks to its better-performing assets.
A more sustainable future
The net-zero target for 2050 is something that the entire construction industry is striving to achieve and with strong BREEAM certification, that goal will be easier to achieve.
There are 550,000 buildings and counting with positive BREEAM certification across the world, as net-zero becomes more and more important. To see this growing in the UK is definitely a good thing.
At Multifix, we are putting further emphasis on sustainability to do our bit for the net-zero goals. You can find out about our recent sustainability pledge with Ecoligi here.