New environmental tool for existing building stock to launch

BREEAM In-Use is part of BREEAM, BRE’s well-established independent method of assessing the environmental standard of a building, which is now widely used in the UK to deliver best practice in the building of sustainable buildings.

According to those that have designed BREEAM In-Use, the tool offers a standard, easy-to-use assessment methodology and a third party certification process that “provides a clear and credible route map to improving sustainability”. 

It is aimed at all those involved in occupying, procuring or managing existing buildings, who can now evaluate and improve the performance of their property assets and the quality of their management regimes through BREEAM, said BRE.

Better management and improvement of the existing UK building stock is seen as crucial to meeting the country’s targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

A quarter of all UK carbon emissions come from UK housing stock alone and the Government has said household carbon emissions need to reduce to almost zero by 2050. Earlier this month it announced the national rollout of a household refurbishment programme that aims to give an affordable green makeover to millions of UK homes by 2020 and for every home to be low-carbon by 2050.

The environmental performance of an organisation's built assets, meanwhile, is a key factor in its sustainability credentials and carbon footprint.

“Operating a building also represents a major cost - with soaring energy prices and the current gloomy economic outlook, cutting energy, water, waste and other such costs can be a relatively easy way of improving profitability,” said BRE.

BREEAM In-Use is designed to:


• Reduce operational costs
• Enhance the value and marketability of property assets
• Give a transparent platform for negotiating building improvements with landlords and owners
• Provide a route to compliance with environmental legislation and standards, such as energy labelling and ISO 14001
• Give greater engagement with staff in implementing sustainable business practices
• Provide opportunities to improve staff satisfaction with the working environment with the potential for significant improvements in productivity
• Demonstrate a commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Improve organisational effectiveness
• Provide a genuine badge of proven sustainability.

BREEAM In-Use will be launched at EcoBuild, the exhibition dedicated to sustainable design, construction and the built environment, taking place at Earl’s Court next month.