news from the BRE Group
published: 16/9/2003
This press release is over six months old and the details may have been superseded. Please contact the Press Office for the latest information.
Launch of BREEAM Retail
A new version of BREEAM has been launched to provide the construction industry with a method of improving the environmental performance of retail buildings. With more than 322,000 outlets, and employing around one in nine of the total workforce, the UK retail sector can make a real contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and other environmental impacts.
BREEAM for retail developments is the latest in this widely used family of environmental assessment schemes, which already includes versions for offices, homes, industrial units and bespoke building types.
BREEAM Retail has been developed by BRE's Centre for Sustainable Construction in partnership with FaberMaunsell, WSP Environmental UK and Upstream. The two-year development process was sponsored by a number of key players in the retail industry - Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury's Property Services and many more*.
BREEAM Retail can be applied to any retail development at the design stage, tenant fit-out or during occupancy. It has been tailored to meet the particular characteristics of the sector, such as its very wide range of building types and functions, the frequency with which retail premises tend to be fitted and refitted, and the large quantities of packaging waste involved in its operations.
In addition, a new feature is being developed specifically for the retail scheme. It is a package allowing the internal self-assessment of any retail site during occupancy. This allows retailers to start a process of assessment and improvement using the BREEAM Retail assessment methodology but without having to commit to a formal independent audit. The self-assessment package will be available from November 2003.
For further information, contact the BREEAM Office on 01923 664462, e-mail BREEAM@bre.co.uk or visit the website at www.bre.co.uk/breeam
Notes for editors
* BREEAM Retail development sponsors: British Land Company LTD, Chartwell Land Development LTD, Chelsfield PLC, Grosvenor LTD, Hammerson UK Property PLC, Land Securities PLC, Lend Lease Global Investment PLC, Marks & Spencer PLC, Sainsbury's Property Services, Tescos, BAA. The British Retail Consortium also advised during the project's development.
How BREEAM works
BREEAM assesses a building's performance in the following aspects:
Issue category Description
Management Overall policy, commissioning and procedural issues
Energy use Operational energy and CO2 issues
Health and well-being Indoor and external issues affecting health and well-being
Pollution Air and water pollution
Transport Transport-related CO2 and location-related factors
Land use Greenfield and brownfield sites
Ecology Ecological value of the site
Materials Environmental implications of building materials
Water Consumption and water efficiency
The assessments are carried out by trained building professionals operating under licence to BRE. Any suitable organisation can have staff trained and registered as BREEAM assessors. BRE acts as the auditing body for the scheme and provides a level of independence and consistency through its quality assurance procedures.
'Credits' are awarded for meeting or exceeding good practice. The credit scores achieved under each 'Issue Category' are then weighted to take account of the importance of that issue to the total environmental impact of the building. This allows an overall score for the building to be calculated and translated into a single BREEAM rating on a scale of PASS, GOOD, VERY GOOD and EXCELLENT.
The rating is presented on a BREEAM Certificate (issued by BRE), which can be used to verify and promote the environmental credentials of an organisation.
Please contact BRE Global (E: enquiries@breglobal.co.uk T: + 44 (0)1923 664100) if you are reading this press release past the issue date, for an update on specific product or service content.
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