The built environment sector accounts for 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making decarbonisation critical to achieving net zero by 2050. BREEAM New Construction Version 7, launched in July 2025, represents the most significant update to the world-leading sustainability assessment, with a strong focus on reducing whole life carbon while maintaining excellence in occupant wellbeing and environmental protection.
The Big Picture: Decarbonisation Takes Centre Stage
Version 7 marks a fundamental shift in how BREEAM approaches building sustainability. The update comprehensively addresses operational energy, embodied carbon, refrigerant emissions, and transport impacts across the entire building lifecycle.
For the first time, BREEAM International and UK New Construction schemes are substantially aligned, creating greater consistency for developers working across markets and reinforcing alignment with broader industry frameworks such as the RICS Professional Standard and the EU Taxonomy.
Accessibility Improvements
Mixed-use developments can now include up to five asset types within a single assessment without requiring BREEAM Bespoke certification. This change significantly streamlines the assessment process while maintaining robust sustainability standards. Projects exceeding five asset types will still require the Bespoke route.
Stricter Minimum Standards Push Excellence Higher
BREEAM V7 introduces new minimum standards that raise the bar for Excellent and Outstanding ratings. Buildings targeting these upper tiers must now demonstrate comprehensive whole life carbon management, including mandatory multi-stage life cycle assessments and embodied carbon reporting in line with updated Mat 01 criteria.
Outstanding-rated buildings face an additional requirement: no onsite fossil fuel combustion, supporting grid decarbonisation and accelerating the transition away from gas-based systems.
New Health and Wellbeing minimum standards also introduce requirements for adequate daylight provision and smoking bans (where not already mandated by law). Importantly, BREEAM Pass ratings remain unchanged, ensuring accessibility across a broad range of project types.
Energy: Reconfigured and Refocused
The Energy category has been completely restructured, with multiple previous issues consolidated and clarified and new issues introduced for installed controls and flexible demand response.
Key changes include revised country weightings that prioritise grid emissions factors and support electrification. Projects may demonstrate compliance using either local building regulations or ASHRAE methodology, with adjustment factors applied where countries have stringent nZEB regulations.
A major innovation is the new operational energy prediction issue (Ene 02), which introduces benchmarking approaches aligned with BREEAM In-Use and rewards third-party verification. Energy-efficient equipment and systems credits now scale based on the proportion of efficient systems installed, creating a more equitable scoring approach across building types.
Materials and Embodied Carbon: A Complete Overhaul
Mat 01 has been entirely rewritten. Projects can now earn credits for life cycle assessment and embodied carbon reporting at Concept Design, Technical Design, and Post-Construction (As-Built) stages independently. This change encourages earlier engagement with embodied carbon reduction and supports more informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
Benchmark comparison credits are awarded based on BRE-defined performance bands, with scoring applied outside of LCA tools. Formally recognised LCA tools, such as eTool, generate the structured outputs required to assess performance against these benchmarks and support BREEAM certification.
An exemplary credit encourages third-party verification of embodied carbon assessments and data sharing with public databases, which can also be completed using recognised tools like eTool.
As a result, BREEAM V7 places greater emphasis on the use of formally recognised LCA tools capable of supporting compliant assessments and reporting at each project stage, particularly for projects targeting higher ratings.
Transport: Simplified and Electrified
Transport issues have been streamlined and aligned across UK and International schemes. The Public Transport Accessibility Index replaces the previous Accessibility Index, and sustainable transport measures are now categorised into public, private, active, and alternative transport options.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure requirements have been significantly strengthened. Developments must now provide a minimum of 10% active charging spaces (7 kW minimum) and 20% passive infrastructure, reflecting the accelerating shift toward electric vehicles.
Ecology: Clearer Pathways, Stronger Outcomes
The Land Use and Ecology category has been comprehensively rewritten, introducing a new two-tier approach. Low-risk sites may follow a simplified Foundation route, while more complex sites are assessed using the Comprehensive route.
The updated approach aligns with UK biodiversity net gain legislation and the EU Taxonomy, rewarding projects that achieve no net loss or net gain in biodiversity using recognised measurement tools. Enhanced requirements for long-term ecological management plans further strengthen outcomes beyond practical completion.
What This Means for Projects
Early benchmarking suggests that UK projects may see score reductions of approximately 3-5%, while International projects may experience reductions closer to 10% compared to previous versions. However, outcomes vary significantly depending on project design, location, and delivery approach, and new opportunities exist for high-performing developments.
BREEAM V7 also introduces a new BREEAM Platform, integrating Excel-based calculators directly into the assessment system and streamlining data entry and calculation processes.
Looking Ahead
BREEAM New Construction V7 represents a decisive step toward embedding whole life carbon assessment within building sustainability standards. While requirements have tightened, the framework provides clearer pathways for delivering high-performing buildings.
For projects pursuing Excellent or Outstanding ratings, the changes underscore the importance of adopting BREEAM-recognised LCA tools such as eTool to support compliant, multi-stage assessment and confident certification under V7.
