A site-specific order
SI 2020/511 requires at least “Very Good” for its warehouses.
Law for that site only.Buildings · certification
BREEAM certification
BREEAM is the Building Research Establishment’s certification for the sustainability of a building, assessed by a licensed assessor and certified by BRE Global.
No UK statute requires it generally: it binds a project only when a site order, a local plan or a client demands it.
It reaches company reporting indirectly, through benchmarks such as GRESB, not through any UK reporting duty.
What it is
What is BREEAM?
A family of BRE standards, each awarding a rating from Pass to Outstanding after a licensed assessor’s review.
BRE describes the assessor as trained and licensed by BRE, verifying compliance and awarding the credits, score and rating (BREEAM).
| Standard | What it assesses | Status on 15 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| New Construction | New non-domestic buildings | V7.1 is the registration version |
| New Construction Residential | New homes (formerly the Home Quality Mark) | In use |
| Refurbishment and Fit Out | Refurbishment and fit-out of commercial buildings | Commercial V7 launched 24 September 2026 |
| In-Use | Existing buildings in operation | V7 not yet released |
| Communities | Masterplanning of new communities | In use |
| Infrastructure | Civil engineering and public realm (formerly CEEQUAL) | In use |
A pre-assessment gives an unverified score, not a rating, so a building is not “BREEAM certified” until BRE Global certifies it.
Status
Is BREEAM mandatory in the UK?
No statute requires it generally; a site order, a local plan or a client can make it binding for one project.
A full-text search of legislation.gov.uk finds BREEAM only in six site-specific orders, never in a general rule (legislation.gov.uk).
The London Plan’s energy policies do not require BREEAM; any London requirement is borough by borough.
The Department for Education does not ask for it: where a council does, DfE funds it as a “project abnormal” (CF25 ¶1.3.7).
Central government guidance warns that requiring bidders to be accredited to a standard such as BREEAM is likely not justifiable (Guidance Note ¶3.6.3).
A BREEAM requirement
A local plan
Camden’s 2017 Plan expects “Excellent” for non-domestic schemes of 500 sqm or more.
Enforced through the planning permission.A client’s policy or contract
The Ministry of Justice asks for Outstanding on new builds of £500,000 or more.
A condition of the work.SI 2020/511 · Camden · MoJ
One project
What does a BREEAM requirement look like for one warehouse?
At a rail freight interchange, the order itself demands “Very Good”, with evidence before building starts and a certificate after.
SI 2020/511 is a real order; the developer and building are the illustration.
The Northampton Gateway order asks for the same level under BREEAM 2018 (SI 2019/1358).
The same warehouse elsewhere, with no order, plan policy or client clause, owes no rating at all.
- 1
What binds it?
The site’s own order: requirement 29 of SI 2020/511 (legislation.gov.uk).
- 2
What level?
At least BREEAM 2011 “Very Good” for each warehouse, or Industrial 2008 “Excellent”.
- 3
When?
A pre-assessment before construction starts, and a certificate within three months of completion or occupation.
- 4
Which version?
The one the order names; the developer does not “update” it to V7.
- 5
Does the company report it?
No: the requirement binds the development, not the company’s accounts (SI 2020/511).
The ratings
What score earns each BREEAM rating?
Excellent needs 70% and Outstanding 85% under every version; V7 lowered Pass to 25% and Good to 40%.
| Rating | New Construction V7 and V7.1 | 2018, V6 and V6.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding | ≥85% | ≥85% |
| Excellent | ≥70% | ≥70% |
| Very Good | ≥55% | ≥55% |
| Good | ≥40% | ≥45% |
| Pass | ≥25% | ≥30% |
| Unclassified | Below Pass, or minimum standards not met | Below Pass, or minimum standards not met |
A rating needs both the score and BREEAM’s minimum standards for that level (Table 2.2).
A project keeps the thresholds of the version it registered under, and a registration is valid for five years (BREEAM FAQs).
Who can require it
Who can make a BREEAM rating a requirement?
Orders for one site, local plans, and public clients through their own policies.
A requirement binds the development, and creates no company-reporting duty under SECR, UK SRS or anything else.
Residential BREEAM requirements in local plans are constrained nationally; Camden’s 2017 Inspector deleted one as unjustified (Camden).
Who can require itExplore
Who can require it
Development consent orders
SI 2020/511 and SI 2019/1358 require at least “Very Good” for warehouses.
Who can require it
Local plans
Camden’s 2017 Plan expects “Excellent” at 500 sqm non-domestic; its replacement is still at examination.
Who can require it
Ministry of Justice
Outstanding for new builds of £500,000 or more (V3.0, August 2021).
Who can require it
Department for Education
Only where a council demands it, funded as an abnormal.
Your project
Does BREEAM bind your project, and what does your score earn?
Pick where the requirement would come from, then enter your assessor’s score.
The check reads the requirement routes found in primary sources and BRE’s rating bands.
It cannot see the minimum standards your assessor tracks, so its rating is the score’s band only.
BREEAM · does it bind, and what does your score earn?
Choose the route that applies.
Enter a score between 0 and 100.
Bands: BRE, BREEAM UK New Construction V7 (pre-release) Table 2.2 and Summary of changes PN739. Routes: SI 2020/511; Camden Local Plan 2017 Policy CC2(h); MoJ BREEAM Policy V3.0; DfE CF25 General Conditions ¶1.3.7.
A provisional reading, not an assessment. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Company reporting
How does BREEAM reach company reporting?
Through GRESB’s points for certified floor area; not through any UK reporting duty.
GRESB is a voluntary, paid benchmark for real-asset funds, and BREEAM New Construction and In-Use are on its 2026 and 2027 lists (GRESB); see GRESB.
A real-estate company reporting under UK SRS may consult the industry guidance, which asks for energy ratings rather than BREEAM.
A company’s own footprint and the tools for real estate are on real estate carbon accounting software.
From building to companyExplore
From building to company
GRESB
BC1 scores certified floor area, up to 8.5 points; the level does not change the score.
From building to company
IFRS S2 real estate
IF-RE-130a.4 asks for energy ratings (ENERGY STAR, EU EPCs, NABERS), not BREEAM.
From building to company
EU Taxonomy
BRE maps V7 to the screening criteria by its own interpretation; no minimum safeguards.
Versions and dates
Which BREEAM versions and rules are current?
New Construction V7.1 since 26 August 2026; Refurbishment and Fit Out Commercial V7 since 24 September 2026.
- August 202101
MoJ BREEAM Policy V3.0
Outstanding for new builds of £500,000 or more; its stated review date has passed. - 30 September 202502
- January 202603
DfE CF25 framework
BREEAM only where a council requires it; DfE’s own rule is an embodied-carbon limit. - 26 August 202604
- 24 September 202605
- 1 October 202606
V7.1 adds whole life-cycle carbon benchmarking and reporting, the subject of embodied carbon (BRE).
Order of work
Where should a project start with BREEAM?
Find what demands a rating, register under the current version, and appoint a licensed assessor early.
New homes in England face the separate operational carbon rules of the Future Homes Standard.
Whether to pursue BREEAM, LEED or NABERS is a client decision; this page recommends no assessor.
- 1
Find the source of any requirement
Order, local plan, client policy or contract, and the level and version it names.
- 2
Register the project
Under V7.1 unless the requirement names an older version.
- 3
Appoint a licensed BREEAM Assessor
The assessor awards the credits, score and rating.
- 4
Track the minimum standards
The score alone does not earn the level.
- 5
Certify through BRE Global
A pre-assessment is not a certificate.
BREEAM is a building’s certificate, not a company’s duty, and it binds only where an order, a plan or a client writes it in.
- No general statute
BREEAM binds through an order, a local plan or a client
Never through “the law” in general. - 26 August 2026
New Construction V7.1 is the version new projects register under
Older registrations keep their version. - ≥70%
Excellent needs 70% and the minimum standards
Unchanged across versions. - Up to 8.5 points
GRESB scores certified floor area, not the level
The clearest link to a company benchmark. - IF-RE-130a.4
IFRS S2’s real-estate metric asks for energy ratings, not BREEAM
And UK SRS makes it optional to consult.
How does BREEAM compare with LEED and NABERS UK?
Two certifications of design and construction, and one rating of measured energy.
The detail is on LEED certification and NABERS UK.
GRESB recognises all three, BREEAM and LEED as certifications and NABERS UK as an energy rating (GRESB).
Frequently asked
What else do people ask about BREEAM?
What is BREEAM certification?
BREEAM is the Building Research Establishment’s suite of sustainability assessment standards for buildings and infrastructure.
A licensed BREEAM Assessor assesses the project, and BRE Global certifies the rating.
It is a proprietary, voluntary scheme, not a British Standard or a government standard.
Is BREEAM mandatory in the UK?
No statute requires BREEAM generally.
It becomes binding case by case: a site-specific development consent order can require a level, a local plan can expect one as a condition of permission, and some public clients set it in their own policies.
Without one of those, it is a voluntary choice.
What are the BREEAM ratings?
Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding, plus Unclassified below Pass; In-Use also has Acceptable.
Under New Construction V7, BRE’s pre-release manual sets Outstanding at 85% or more, Excellent 70%, Very Good 55%, Good 40% and Pass 25%.
Earlier versions used 45% for Good and 30% for Pass. Each level also needs BREEAM’s minimum standards.
What is the current version of BREEAM New Construction?
Version 7.1, the default for new registrations since 26 August 2026.
Version 7 launched on 30 September 2025 and closed to new registrations on 26 August 2026.
A project is assessed against the version it registered under.
Does BREEAM count for company sustainability reporting?
Not directly.
GRESB gives points for certified floor area, IFRS S2’s real-estate guidance asks for energy ratings rather than BREEAM, and BRE’s EU Taxonomy mapping is its own interpretation.
No UK reporting duty asks for a BREEAM rating.
Does a BREEAM Excellent rating mean EU Taxonomy alignment?
No. BRE says V7 embeds most of the Taxonomy’s technical screening criteria as optional criteria, based on its interpretation, and leaves out the minimum safeguards.
Alignment is decided against the Taxonomy itself.
What is the difference between BREEAM and LEED?
BREEAM is BRE’s scheme and rates by percentage score; LEED is the US Green Building Council’s, rated by points from Certified to Platinum.
GRESB recognises both, and does not score a higher level more than a lower one.
Sources
Where does each figure come from?
Every figure, date and status on this page traces to the instrument’s owner.
Secondary commentary is never the source for a number.
Checked against 24 sources fromBREBRE Globallegislation.gov.ukLondon Borough of CamdenMinistry of JusticeDepartment for Education
- BREBREEAM Standards Overview
New Construction, In-Use, Refurbishment and Fit Out, New Construction Residential, Communities and Infrastructure.
- BREHow does BREEAM work?
Licensed BREEAM Assessors; certification by BRE Global; ratings from Pass to Outstanding (Acceptable in In-Use only).
- BRERegister your first project in BREEAM New Construction V7.1
The assessor verifies compliance and awards the credits, score and rating.
- BREBRE launches BREEAM New Construction Version 7 (30 September 2025)
NC V7 launched; optional EU Taxonomy criteria.
- BREBREEAM New Construction V7.1: key changes (26 August 2026)
V7.1 becomes the current registration version.
- BREBREEAM New Construction Version 7: FAQs
V7 registrations closed 26 August 2026; five-year registration validity; older registrations may continue or upgrade.
- BRE GlobalBREEAM UK New Construction V7 (pre-release), Table 2.2 rating benchmarks
Outstanding ≥85%, Excellent ≥70%, Very Good ≥55%, Good ≥40%, Pass ≥25%.
- BRESummary of changes, BREEAM New Construction Version 7 (PN739)
Pass and Good brought down by 5%.
- BREBRE launches BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out Commercial Version 7 (24 September 2026)
Two standards: Refurbishment V7 and Fit Out V7.
- BRE GlobalSustainable finance and alignment with the EU Taxonomy (V7 pre-release manual)
BRE’s own interpretation; minimum safeguards not included.
- legislation.gov.ukThe West Midlands Rail Freight Interchange Order 2020 (SI 2020/511), requirement 29
Warehouses to achieve at least BREEAM 2011 “Very Good”.
- legislation.gov.ukThe Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Interchange Order 2019 (SI 2019/1358), requirement 16
At least BREEAM 2018 “Very Good”.
- London Borough of CamdenCamden Local Plan 2017, Policy CC2(h) and ¶8.49
“Excellent” expected for non-domestic development of 500 sqm or more.
- London Borough of CamdenCamden Local Plan: examination overview
The replacement plan was submitted on 3 October 2025 and is still at examination.
- Ministry of JusticeSustainable Construction: BREEAM Policy, V3.0 (August 2021)
Outstanding for new builds of £500,000 or more; review date passed.
- Department for EducationCF25 General Conditions, ¶1.3.7 (January 2026)
BREEAM demanded by local policy is funded as a project abnormal.
- Department for EducationCF25 Technical Manual, §0.1.10 (January 2026)
DfE’s own rule: an A1–A5 embodied-carbon limit of 550 kgCO2e/m² GIFA.
- GRESB2026 Real Estate Assessment: BC1.1 certifications
BC1 up to 8.5 points, scored on floor-area coverage, not level.
- GRESB2026 Real Estate Assessment: scheme lists
BREEAM New Construction, BREEAM In Use and LEED BD+C recognised for 2026 and 2027.
- GRESB2026 Real Estate Assessment: BC2 energy ratings
Up to 2 points; NABERS UK and EPCs are energy ratings.
- IFRS FoundationExposure Draft IFRS S2, Volume B36 Real Estate, IF-RE-130a.4
Energy ratings named: ENERGY STAR, EU EPCs, NABERS; not BREEAM or LEED.
- IFRS FoundationUsing ISSB industry-based guidance
The guidance is non-mandatory.
- Department for Business and TradeUK SRS consultation response, Annex A
UK SRS S2: entities “may refer to and consider” the industry guidance.
- Cabinet OfficePromoting Net Zero Carbon and Sustainability in Construction: Guidance Note, ¶3.6.3
Authorities can adopt standards such as BREEAM; requiring bidders to be accredited is likely not justifiable.