NBS has published a guide for specifiers on meeting BREEAM New Construction V7 requirements, developed in partnership with certification body BRE.
A Specifier’s Guide to BREEAM sets out how structured, fully classified specification data can support the evidence trail required for environmental assessment under the latest version of the scheme, which raises expectations across energy, water, materials and ecology.
BREEAM has assessed building performance in the UK for over 30 years. The updated New Construction V7 standard places greater emphasis on whole life carbon, embodied impacts, operational performance and biodiversity, reflecting requirements for buildings to meet national and global net zero targets.
Under the standard, whole life carbon is assessed across the full building lifecycle, meaning specifiers need embodied carbon data at the point of specification rather than after design decisions have been made. Materials must be responsibly sourced, with environmental and social credentials evidenced through supply chains, and all project timber must be legal and sustainable.
Design decisions must be evidenced across nine environmental categories, from energy-efficient systems and water conservation to responsible sourcing and ecology. The guide describes this as requiring a traceable “golden thread” of information from early design through to project delivery.
It explains how NBS Chorus, using Uniclass and CAWS classification, allows specifiers to record decisions consistently, while NBS Lifecycle Carbon Assessment gives teams access to more than 10,000 Environmental Product Declarations to help quantify upfront embodied carbon as a project develops.
Dr Lee Jones, head of sustainability at Hubexo, said: “The construction industry has entered a new era of change. Climate action, tougher regulations, and rising client expectations are reshaping what ‘good’ looks like in modern building design. Sustainability and decarbonisation are no longer box-ticking exercises; they are powerful drivers of value, innovation, and competitive advantage. For specifiers, every decision is now an opportunity to deliver smarter, greener, future ready buildings.”
Jennifer Dudley, lead product manager at BREEAM, said: “Proven to help access green finance, retain asset value and support increased occupant satisfaction, BREEAM New Construction helps clients and design teams holistically navigate sustainability needs of today, and anticipate those of the future when designing and constructing new buildings.”
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