What is BREEAM?
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a certification and assessment method for the environmental performance of buildings, developed by BRE Global in the United Kingdom.BREEAM+2Alpin Limited+2
This method applies to several types of projects: new buildings, renovations, and operational buildings. It is based on a set of categories (energy, water, materials, management, land use & ecology…) to assess the sustainability of a building.
In summary: a BREEAM certified building guarantees recognised environmental, social, and economic quality.
Why is biodiversity central to BREEAM?
One of the main focuses of the BREEAM update, particularly with Version 7 (V7), is to strengthen the integration of biodiversity and ecology.
On the official page "BREEAM biodiversity solutions," it states that BREEAM aims to "protect and restore nature" by relying on the construction industry to "create significant benefits for local communities and avoid biodiversity loss."
Among the highlighted elements: ecological networks, connections between habitats, nature-based solutions.
In practice, this means that to obtain or improve a BREEAM certification, the integration of biodiversity (fauna, flora, soils, water) becomes a strategic criterion, rather than merely decorative.
What benefits for a property or construction site?
- Increased asset value: a building or site that is well certified by BREEAM is often valued more highly by investors and users.
- A better management of risks: regulation, climate, reputation.
- A positive contribution to the local nature: improvement of permeability, habitats for species, ecological corridors.
- Early compliance with regulatory developments (biodiversity net gain, etc.).
How to meet the "biodiversity" requirements in BREEAM?
Here is a three-step method, applicable for a business site or building.
Step 1: Preliminary Ecological Diagnosis
- Conduct an initial inventory of the fauna, flora, soils, wetlands or water, and permeability.
- Identify the existing elements to be preserved (mature trees, hedges, existing meadows).
- Determine the risks: impermeable areas, isolation of ecosystems, uncontrolled runoff.
- Check the applicable BREEAM requirements (category “Land Use & Ecology”, “Nature recovery”, “Biodiversity net gain”) according to the current version.
Step 2: Landscape Design and Biodiversity Action Plan
- Propose nature-based solutions: swales, wetlands, meadows, hedgerows, shade trees, habitats for insects/birds/amphibians.
- Create ecological corridors, connect areas to prevent the isolation of species.
- Integrate the reduction of impermeable surfaces, promote infiltration, and even a "biodiversity net gain".
- Document the plan: identification of actions, responsible parties, timeline, performance indicators.
Step 3: Implementation + monitoring & tracking
- Install the plants, prepare the soils, create the water zones/habitats, follow the plan.
- Establish a Landscape & Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) to ensure the sustainability of actions (e.g.: 5 years of monitoring).
- Monitor the indicators: number of species, vegetated area, infiltration, ecological connectivity. Adjust actions if necessary.
- Integrate the results into the BREEAM file (document the evidence) to obtain additional credits or points.
Some practical tips to maximise your “Biodiversity / Ecology” score
- Engage an ecologist early in the project, from the design phase.
- Preserve the existing natural elements rather than redesigning everything.
- Choose local/adaptive plants, promote diversity rather than monoculture.
- Encourage infiltration and sustainable management of rainwater (swales, buffer zones) rather than mechanical drainage.
- Prepare maintenance from the outset: sustainable vegetation, limited interventions, stabilised habitats.
- Document all actions and monitor the indicators: BREEAM audits value tangible evidence.
To remember
The BREEAM biodiversity certification is not just another “green” label. It is a rigorous, science-based framework that demands measurable, sustainable projects rooted in the local ecosystem. By adopting a structured approach – diagnosis, design, monitoring – you meet the BREEAM criteria while creating a more resilient, vibrant, and better-valued business site.
If you are preparing a business project or a construction and wish to integrate biodiversity into your BREEAM certification, contact us. We support you from analysis to complete monitoring, for a concrete and effective result.
Main sources:
- BREEAM “Biodiversity Solutions” – BREEAM.com BREEAM
- BREEAM “How it works” – BREEAM.com BREEAM
- Article “BREEAM Version 7 to embrace new Biodiversity Net Gain” – Bregroup.com BRE Group