page_title: Green building certification systems
section_title: United Kingdom
hierarchical_section_title: Green building certification systems / Building Certification Systems used around the world / United Kingdom
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Certyfikat BREEAM w Poznaniu.
context_page_description: Green building certification systems are a set of rating systems and tools that are used to assess a building or a construction project's performance from a sustainability and environmental perspective. Such ratings aim to improve the overall quality of buildings and infrastructures, integrate a life cycle approach in its design and construction, and promote the fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the construction industry. Buildings that have been assessed and are deemed to meet a certain level of performance and quality, receive a certificate proving this achievement.
  According to the Global Status Report 2017 published by United Nations Environment Programme in coordination with the International Energy Agency, buildings and construction activities together contribute to 36% of the global energy use and 39% of carbon dioxide emissions. Through certification, the associated environmental impacts during the lifecycle of buildings and other infrastructures could be better understood and mitigated. Currently, more than 100 building certifications systems exist around the world.
context_section_description: The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is recognized as the first Sustainability Assessment Method for buildings.  It was launched in 1990 by the UK-based organization Building Research Establishment (BRE).
  BREEAM certification is carried out on the basis of a scoring system where projects are assessed on the basis of 10 categories (with individual weightings differing by project type) as follows:
  Management
  Health and well-being
  Hazards
  Energy
  Transport
  Water
  Materials
  Waste
  Land use and ecology
  Pollution
  Surface water run-off
  Each category is sub-divided into a range of assessment indicators, each having its own aim, target and benchmarks.  When a target or benchmark is reached, the asset is given credits (or points) by a qualified BREEAM assessor. The category score is calculated according to the number of credits attained and the category weightings. Once the development has been fully assessed, the final performance rating is determined by the sum of the weighted category scores. The final performance rating is specified as:
  A qualified assessor evaluates a building or project and ensures that it meets the quality and performance standards of the selected scheme. In some countries such as Netherlands, Germany and Sweden, there are national operators that officially certify for BREEAM adapted to that country's standards, processes and construction methods.
  BREEAM certification has also been made mandatory for governmental construction projects in the UK. According to the Common Minimum Standards for governmental construction, an environmental assessment is required on all public projects and further states that, "where BREEAM is used, all new projects are to achieve an 'excellent' rating and all refurbishment projects are to achieve at least 'very good' rating."
caption: A BREEAM certification plaque in Poznan, Poland.
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