The guide is intended to show how specification can be shaped to ensure BREEAM certification and a sustainable build
The BREEAM certification guide, A Specifier’s Guide to BREEAM, offers examples and guidance on how to make everyday specification decisions that will directly support sustainability goals.
One key requirement of BREEAM certification is a structured, data-rich evidence trail for environmental assessment.
Developed alongside BRE
The Building Research Establishment (BRE), the original developer of the BREEAM standard, worked with NBS to ensure that the guide is tailored to achieve BREEAM New Construction V7, the latest version of the assessment.
New Construction V7 covers energy, water, materials, ecology, and more, and focuses on whole life carbon, embodied impacts, operational performance, and biodiversity in buildings. It reflects national and international net-zero targets and what is needed to address the issues involved in achieving them.
Specifications can be awkward to develop for this BREEAM certification because whole-life carbon is now assessed across a building’s full lifecycle, meaning reliable embodied carbon data is needed at the point of specification, not after. This will affect the sourcing of materials, environmental and social credentials must be confirmed in a supply chain, and any timber used must be both legal and sustainable.
Design decisions must be evidenced in nine environmental categories, such as energy-efficient systems, water conservation, responsible sourcing, and ecology.
Therefore, specifiers must be able to provide a ‘golden thread’ of information from design to delivery.
Guiding BREEAM specification
The NBS guide shows how utilising technology and software can be a consistent and reliable way to both record and prove decisions and maintain the ‘golden thread’, and that achieving compliance can be easier than anticipated while also providing a competitive edge for businesses.
Dr Lee Jones, head of sustainability, Hubexo, said: “The construction industry has entered a new era of change. Climate action, tougher regulations, and rising client expectations are reshaping what “good” looks like in modern building design.
“Sustainability and decarbonisation are no longer box-ticking exercises; they are powerful drivers of value, innovation, and competitive advantage. For specifiers, every decision is now an opportunity to deliver smarter, greener, future ready buildings.”
Jennifer Dudley, lead product manager, BREEAM added: “Proven to help access green finance, retain asset value and support increased occupant satisfaction, BREEAM New Construction helps clients and design teams holistically navigate sustainability needs of today, and anticipate those of the future when designing and constructing new buildings.”
