Non-domestic BREEAM standard to be launched

With autumn fast approaching, certification body BRE Global is gearing up to launch the latest addition to its stable of sustainable building standards.


BREEAM Energy Star is set to become the newest Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standard when it is launched ahead of Government’s consultation on carbon reduction in new non-domestic buildings.

BRE bosses hope the standard will encourage innovation to achieve Ministers’ ambition of zero-carbon non-domestic buildings by 2019.

“The aim of the BREEAM family is to provide a comprehensive set of sustainable building standards that cover buildings that are based on robust scientific evidence and developed through consultation with industry and with strong market engagement,” Martin Townsend, the new director of BREEAM, said.

Energy Star is just one of several planned innovations over the coming months.

Mr Townsend added: “The BREEAM family of sustainability standards we are developing also includes BREEAM Communities for urban developments – developed jointly with the Regional Development Agencies and leading international urban planners – and BREEAM In-Use, designed to reduce costs and improve the sustainability of a building’s operation.”

This autumn the existing BREEAM International standard is set to be launched as an open source standard and will include BREEAM Emirates and BREEAM Europe.

Standards to cover new building types such as Further Education Colleges and Olympic venues, and schemes for responsible sourcing are also in the pipeline.

Sir Neville Simms, chairman of the BRE Trust, said: “So much progress in such a short time reflects our strength in depth and breadth, which is built on the success of our rapidly growing existing schemes that have enabled developers and constructors to independently demonstrate their commitment to building a more sustainable future.”

The International Organisation for Standardisation announced earlier this year that it had developed an international benchmark for sustainable construction.

Kate Martin

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