About this CPD Resource
Technical requirements of BREEAM New Construction 2018 and BREEAM In-Use for existing buildings, covering assessment categories, credit pathways, evidence requirements and assessor roles.
BRE's Academy offers a range of CPD courses on BREEAM, from introductory awareness through to technical training for licensed assessors. This course covers the technical standards for both BREEAM New Construction (the most widely used version on UK commercial and public sector projects) and BREEAM In-Use (for assessing and improving the performance of existing buildings). Understanding the evidence requirements and credit pathways is essential for design teams targeting specific BREEAM ratings.
Learning Outcomes
- Navigate BREEAM New Construction 2018 technical standards
- Understand BREEAM In-Use assessment methodology for existing buildings
- Identify credit pathways and evidence requirements for target ratings
- Understand the licensed assessor role and how to work effectively with assessors
Who Is This Suitable For?
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Why This CPD Matters
The UK construction industry is responsible for approximately 40% of the country's total carbon emissions — roughly equally split between the operational energy use of buildings and the embodied carbon of construction materials and processes. Meeting the UK's legally binding commitment to reach net zero by 2050 requires a transformation in how buildings are designed, built and operated, and construction professionals are at the centre of that transformation.
Sustainability CPD is no longer a niche interest — it has become a core professional competency requirement. RIBA introduced mandatory sustainable architecture CPD in 2021, requiring all Chartered Members to engage with sustainability topics every year. ICE has made sustainable development (including decarbonisation and nature-positive design) a mandatory CPD theme. The Growing demand from clients, planning authorities and funders for BREEAM ratings, net zero carbon compliance and embodied carbon reporting means that construction professionals who lack sustainability knowledge are increasingly at a professional disadvantage. This CPD from Building Research Establishment directly addresses this skills gap.
Key Topics and Industry Context
Sustainability in construction encompasses a broad and rapidly evolving range of topics. Energy efficiency in buildings — covering both operational energy (heating, cooling, lighting, hot water) and embodied carbon (the carbon emitted in producing, transporting and installing building materials) — is central to the industry's decarbonisation challenge. BREEAM, the world's leading sustainability assessment method for buildings, provides a framework for measuring and improving building sustainability across nine categories. The Passive House standard offers a rigorous energy performance framework for ultra-low energy buildings. Sustainable materials specification, including the use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to compare embodied carbon, is becoming standard practice on ambitious projects.
This resource from Building Research Establishment contributes to the sustainability knowledge that construction professionals need to advise clients, design compliant buildings and meet the growing expectations of planning authorities and institutional clients for measurable sustainability performance.
How This Fits Your CPD Requirements
RIBA's mandatory core curriculum includes sustainable architecture as one of the topics that all Chartered Members must engage with each year as part of their 35-hour CPD requirement. ICE has designated Sustainable Development (including decarbonisation and nature-positive design) as one of three mandatory CPD themes that all professionally qualified members must cover over a three-year cycle. RICS recognises sustainability as a core competency for several its assessment pathways and its members are increasingly required to provide sustainability-related advice. CIOB includes sustainability in its CPD framework. Across all major construction professional bodies, sustainability is now a required area of competency development.