The global challenge of combating climate change is pressing; as the scientific consensus underlines, for drastic changes in climate change to be avoided, the temperature rise cannot go beyond 1.5° C. It means that there is a need to achieve a reduction in net carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 from the 2010 level to reach zero by 2050. According to the current range of models, probabilities are that it will not stay at or below 1.5° C, although it will be possible to avoid impacts worse than 2.0° C. Building and construction are among the main sectors responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, specifically about 25% regarding operational energy and about 38% regarding construction activities.
Regardless of all the efforts, recent data indicates that the annual emissions of this sector have not been stabilised and have not indicated a clear downward trend. Integrating BREEAM assessment criteria into this context may help in instructing better sustainability improvement and risk management related to buildings. In this article, we’ll explain how BREEAm helps in lowering carbon emissions.
Assessment of Embodied Carbon
BREEAM provides an assessment of the embodied carbon of building materials; this is the sum of all greenhouse gas emissions related to the manufacturing, transportation, and waste management of building materials. By monitoring and reducing these emissions, BREEAM is helping developers choose materials with smaller carbon footprints. Low-carbon materials and methods of construction not only reduce environmental disturbance but also offer more sustainable buildings for the future. The use of low-carbon materials encourages the specification and realisation of innovative materials and techniques that are effective in reducing carbon emissions throughout a building’s whole life cycle.
Low Carbon Technologies in Application
BREEAM also encourages the integration of low-carbon technologies within building designs. These are energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, renewable energy sources such as solar panels, and advanced energy management systems. To that effect, BREEAM contributes to the reduction in the operational carbon footprint of buildings through the employment of such technologies. This would help not only reduce energy consumption but also transition toward a more sustainable energy infrastructure. This forward-thinking approach to design and integrating technology has huge implications for reducing not only current but also future carbon emissions.
Improved Building Performance Indicators
BREEAM introduces strict building performance requirements that go further than the basic aspects of energy efficiency. It sets in-depth metrics on the effectual measurement and improvement of energy use in buildings, including energy use intensity and carbon dioxide emissions per square meter. These metrics serve as the driving force for BREEAM, enabling developers and designers to apply high-performance building strategies that result in optimal energy use and carbon emissions reduction. Among these advanced strategies are highly developed building envelopes, high-performance glazing, and efficient insulation, among others, to name a few, contributing to an overall major reduction in energy use and carbon emissions.
Sustainable Building Operations
BREEAM assesses not only the design and construction phases but also the operational phase of buildings. It places much emphasis on sustainable operational building practices, from effective energy management to waste reduction. In promoting operational strategies that minimise energy consumption and use resources very efficiently, BREEAM reduces the carbon footprint of buildings during their lifetime. This also means that long beyond the construction phase of a building, it is sure to keep performing in such a manner as to help lower carbon emissions.
Thinking in Life Cycles
BREEAM takes a lifecycle approach to building design and construction; it encapsulates the environmental impact of a building from its design and construction through its operation to eventual demolition. Such a holistic view will minimise carbon emissions at every stage. This will help BREEAM identify and sort out potential carbon hotspots in the early design stages, promote the use of materials with a longer life span, and support strategies for recycling and reusing building components. An integrated approach like this can have the biggest influence on overall carbon emissions reduction and achieve long-term sustainability in the built environment.
Conclusion:
BREEAM pays vital attention to the reduction of carbon emissions in the building sector. Emphasising low-carbon materials, advanced technologies, and lifecycle thinking, BREEAM drives sustainable practices and significantly lowers environmental impacts, thus supporting global efforts to combat climate change and achieve sustainability goals.
Also, read: Top Deck Builders in Overland Park, KS
