BREEAM for net zero carbon organisations
How the BREEAM family of building standards can support the global achievement of net zero carbon goals
With so many organisations now aiming for net zero carbon, how can BREEAM help you?
The organisational path to net zero carbon requires an array of measures across many fronts. Carbon emissions from a building's operational energy alone are around 25% of global carbon emissions and the construction sector as a whole is estimated to be 38% of global emissions.
Developing a thoughtful and effective organisational pathway to net zero carbon is a vital area for owners and operators across the real estate sector to focus on. According to the United Kingdom Green Building Council (UKGBC), 92% of professionals across the building sector view net zero as the principal economic growth opportunity for the built environment.
BREEAM provides robust measurement and helps minimise carbon emissions at the asset level as a critical foundation for the steps to net zero carbon. This guide shows you how.
Breaking down net zero: the basics
There are many definitions of net zero carbon used in academic and commercial spaces. “Net zero carbon” is where the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by anthropogenic (or human) activity is balanced by the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere. A key difference compared to carbon neutrality is that scope 3 (those related to the upfront and downstream, i.e. embodied emissions and end of life) emissions are mandatory in net zero carbon. The term "net zero carbon" is also used widely in promotional literature and is sometimes used synonymously with “climate action” or “carbon reduction”. Reducing emissions is the process, and achieving net zero carbon is the goal. If a science-based target requires a 5% reduction in emissions in one year to reach net zero carbon for a specific type of building and country, and Building A reduces by 4% while Building B reduces by 6%, only Building B is on track to meet the target.
Scope of net zero carbon definitions also vary considerably. Organisations often have a limited scope, and claim to be "net zero carbon", when in reality they are far from accepted industry standards. The topic faces many of the same challenges as other areas of sustainability. When assessing net zero carbon claims, it's crucial to consider the scope. For example, in buildings, the assessment may pertain solely to operational carbon, or it may include considerations for embodied carbon and end-of-life aspects. This is one of the key reasons we need third party verified schemes, such as BREEAM, to provide impartiality on sustainable building assessments.
It’s important to note that some people are aiming for net zero carbon immediately, others by 2040, 2050 and many dates in-between. The scope varies, often influenced at a corporate level rather than asset level. One of the most popular detailed corporate targets is from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI), which uses the following parameters:
- Achieve a scale of value-chain emission reductions consistent with pathways that limit warming to 1.5°C with no or limited overshoot.
- Neutralise the impact of any source of residual emissions that cannot be eliminated by permanently removing an equivalent amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
BREEAM is helping set the stage for a net zero carbon future
BREEAM standards report and reward holistic sustainability, covering a broad spectrum of environmental, social and economic sustainability themes. The BREEAM rating is carefully designed to assess performance across these themes in a balanced way and has been helping to address the impacts of climate change for over 30 years.
We give key themes prominence in BREEAM through the weightings used per category. Climate change is a key source of credits in BREEAM, which this guide details.
Reducing energy use at every available opportunity is key for organisations aspiring to achieve net zero carbon. For organisations involved in purchasing, constructing, and fitting out new buildings — and for those refurbishing existing ones — embodied carbon in building materials and products is very significant.
BREEAM’s family of benchmarking and certification standards aims to improve an asset’s core sustainability performance through the minimisation of energy demand and carbon emissions from the asset’s construction, in-use operation and end-of-life, along with effectively measuring a building’s energy needs and the overall carbon footprint of an organisation. BREEAM can also be used to demonstrate how far asset-related carbon emissions have been reduced.
The future of BREEAM
Version 7 of BREEAM is focused on updating energy and carbon, by balancing aspiration and implementation, and supporting the introduction of new opportunities wherever clients are on their net zero carbon and sustainability journey. From early stages to build transparency, through to innovative best practice, BREEAM can help meet sustainability objectives.
Key focuses include achieving whole life carbon reduction and net zero carbon in buildings, while addressing the increased demands throughout the supply chain. We emphasise robust risk management, asset management, and adherence to ESG. Our approach facilitates data collection and establishes a foundation for an in-depth exploration of net zero carbon alignment.
To ease reporting and demonstrate progress toward net zero carbon goals, we are introducing a dedicated module that harnesses your BREEAM data. This module will assess how close you are to range net zero carbon definitions and and offers in-depth carbon reporting and insights. This will simplify workflows and can accelerate your journey towards net zero carbon. We will also be providing net zero carbon certification at the building level, to bring the third-party assurance in BREEAM to the net zero carbon arena.