35 Years of BREEAM and latest V7 mandatory update

1 Background history
2 BREEAM 7
3 Key changes in Version 7
4 A brief history of updates and expansions
5 Related articles on Designing Buildings
6 External links

[edit] Background history

The 1970s saw the earliest pioneers on the ecology or environmental movements, through earlier initiatives such as Earth Day, and the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), reiterated by the oil crisis at the end of the decade.

In the 1980s the famous Brundtland Commission and its report 'Our Common Future' formerly defined what sustainable development is and began to outline how it could be achieved. This was followed briefly after by the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to report on the global phenomena. In Europe the Bundesverband Deutscher Fertigbau (BDF) was officially launched, marking an early institutional step towards improving the landscape for environmental governance, to aid monitoring of climate changes.

1990 saw the newly established IPCC publish its first report, which underlined the importance of climate change as a challenge with global consequences that requires international cooperation; called aptly The First Assessment Report (FAR). The same year, in the UK the Building Research Establishment (BRE) launched what is generally regarded as the first environmental certification scheme for the built environment, known as BREEAM. It was an environmental assessment methodology that aimed to help assess sustainable value under a number of different categories including: management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, pollution, and innovation. The first building to be assessed was an office building in the UK.

[edit] BREEAM 7

Originally setting out to raise awareness of sustainability, cut the environmental footprint of construction, and encourage continuous progress BREEAM is now an Internationally known and used assessment method and brand. More than three decades later, after many iterations, updates, within an increasingly competitive market for alternative assessment methods the latest BREEAM 7 is perhaps one of the most demanding and become the only option from September 2025.

This latest version reaffirms the ongoing purpose of assessments in responding to climate challenges, tighter regulations, investor scrutiny, and scientific insights building on lessons learnt from earlier and other schemes. BREEAM in particualr has grown into staple tool for many developers, asset owners, and funders, albeit alongside a plethora of environment and sustainability frameworks, assessments and certifications. In many cases going beyond voluntary sustainability badges, with schemes (BREEAM but also to a lesser degree others) often being used as a requirement for planning permission, client requirements and finance. In London as well as other regions, BREEAM certification is often mandatory for larger projects and almost all publicly funded schemes, with assessors become a core consultant.

BREEAM 7 raises the bar further, applying yet more pressure for schemes to integrate its requirements at the earliest stages of the design process, rather than getting away with later stage detail additions, to better manage expectations, costs, and outcomes. It puts a spotlight on whole-life carbon, operational energy, refrigerants, and transport emissions, where minimum standards are stricter, net-zero pathways are clearer, and EU Taxonomy alignment is built in to support investor reporting. Achieving these outcomes will require more robust energy modelling, stronger design collaboration, and greater evidence, which in turn means higher upfront investment but more resilient, future-proofed assets.

"BREEAM New Construction Version 7 Technical Manuals underpin the assessment process, providing guidance to assessors and project teams undertaking assessments. Browse our library of downloads relevant to BREEAM New Construction Version 7, including Technical Manuals, Summary of Changes, and Training Modules." For related downloads visit the BRE website page here https://breeam.com/breeam-newconstructionv7/downloads

[edit] Key changes in Version 7

The base ratings have been recalibrated, meaning its harder to achieve a pass or good score with the catergies that cover health, energy, water, waste, and materials carrying more weight than previously.
Simplified bespoke process, whereby only projects with more than five different asset types being required to complete a full bespoke assessment.
Operational energy requirements aat concept stage. Projects are required to set strategies early on, model energy use, assess the risks, and independently verify designs.
Wellbeing and circadian rhythm. The new wellbeing measures recognise the role of natural light in healthy sleep cycles and add points accordingly.
Indoor air quality highlighted as key. It is now mandatory for Very Good and above, to display proactive design strategies and produce documented plans evidencing such strategies.
Whole-life carbon assessments. These are now required to achieve ratings of Excellent and Outstanding, with multiple checkpoints and assessment across the design, construction and completuon processes.
EU Taxonomy reporting. Integrated criteria streamlines compliance with European sustainability regulations.
Biodiversity net gain. Credits have been revised to align with new UK laws, these require enhancements in terms of biodiversity beyond the statutory baseline.
Low-carbon technology credits. Heat pumps are now effectively treated as standard technology, not as innovative technology. For outstanding projects no fossil fuel use is allowed at all.

BREEAM V7 has gone beyond adjusting scores, to demanding clearer proof of performance, deeper integration with policy and finance, with a stronger focus on occupant wellbeing. The hope being to drive construction sector towards buildings that are not only compliant but perhaps more than before genuinely sustainable.

[edit] A brief history of updates and expansions

BREEAM New Construction Version 7 (V7) Released July 2025; becomes mandatory from 30 September 2025 for new registrations under UK New Construction. (KJ Tait)Major overhaul: greater emphasis on whole-life carbon (embodied + operational), updated energy/carbon benchmarks, more stringent health & wellbeing (e.g. daylight, indoor environment), new minimum standards (e.g. no on site fossil fuel combustion for Outstanding), revised rating boundaries and weightings.

BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6 (UK NC V6) Released 24 August 2022, following changes in UK building regs (England Part L 2021). Updates to energy use/carbon emissions criteria (Ene 01), and indoor air quality requirements under Hea 02, to align with newer building regulations; most other issues stayed the same as in UK NC 2018.

BREEAM UK New Construction Residential V6.1 (UKNCR V6.1 / Home Quality Mark evolving into UK NCR V6.1) Technical manual released 16 April 2025, summary of changes published 26 March 2025. Minor but focused updates: “Natural light” issue rewritten (new metrics for daylight, direct sunlight etc.), revisions of Building Life Cycle Assessment criteria, clarifications in evidence guidance, and tweaks in noise, ventilation, temperature etc.

BREEAM International New Construction Version 6 (INC V6) Introduced 1 December 2021; registrations opened same date. (Designing Buildings)Updates mainly in the Energy category—better support for net zero goals, alignment with EU Taxonomy, updated energy benchmarking, more recognition for operational energy modelling.

BREEAM In-Use Version 6 (International) Released May 2020. Reworked structure: removed Part3 (Occupier Management), introduced new categories like “Image Resources” and “Resilience,” added minimum standards and exemplary credits, increased emphasis on performance, and stronger alignment with ESG / risk, climate resilience etc.

BREEAM Infrastructure Term Contracts Version 6 Released 12 October 2022. Replaces CEEQUAL Term Contracts v5.2; adds requirements for whole life carbon, circular economy approaches, resilience, biodiversity, ethical labour and protection of vulnerable road users; introduces “Outstanding” level and minimum standards for that rating; aligns terminology with other BREEAM schemes.

24 August 2022 BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6 (UK NC V6) made updates to align with England’s Building Regulations (Part L 2021); changes to energy/carbon emissions (Ene 01) and indoor air quality (Hea 02) issues; enables registration under V6 for buildings complying with newer regs.

March 2018 BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 updates with further development of criteria, more stringent energy / environmental benchmarks, updated indoor environment and material sourcing requirements.

November 2015, BRE announced their acquisition of CEEQUAL to enable the development of a new sustainability rating scheme for civil engineering and infrastructure projects. The was prompted by industry desire for a single sustainability rating scheme to address the challenge of delivering more sustainable and resilient infrastructure on the part of clients and contractors. For more information see BREEAM and CEEQUAL.

June 2015 the BREEAM scheme for non-domestic refurbishment and fit-out introduced in the UK became an international scheme.

October 2014. Updated technical manuals, expanded building types; better clarity and more detailed criteria for sustainability issues.

2012 a new BREEAM scheme for domestic refurbishment was introduced. As with other schemes, it allowed domestic refurbishments to be assessed and rated on a range from pass to outstanding.

2011 a consolidated “New Construction” scheme for all new UK buildings was issued with reclassified issues and criteria to streamline assessments.

1998 A major update to the scheme, revamping the BREEAM Offices standard; restructured layout, weights, and criteria.

1990 the first BREEAM version for assessing new offices; established weighting of sustainability issues.