BREEAM (Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method) is the world’s leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design. Credits are awarded in ten categories according to performance. These credits are then added together to produce a single overall score on a scale of Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding.

In a move towards more sustainable and zero carbon buildings the Wales Assembly Government (WAG) Planning Policy now requires projects with a floor area greater than 1000m2, to achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating. In addition (WAG) require an Excellent rating to be achieved for projects where they provide core funding.

A summary of the issues covered by each of the ten categories is summarised below. Each issue seeks to mitigate the impact of a new or refurbished building on the environment by defining a performance target and assessment criteria that must be met to confirm the target has been achieved. Where a performance target has been achieved the number of available BREEAM credits can be awarded.