As green building certifications evolve, criteria around managing operational emissions is tightening, longer-term planning is in focus and achieving the top ratings is becoming more stringent.

The latest versions of LEED and BREEAM certifications particularly champion decarbonization through revised requirements, scoring methods, and evaluation criteria on operational as well as embodied carbon.

Launched earlier this year, LEED v5 now allocates almost half of all certification points to carbon-cutting measures addressing materials, energy use, cooling systems, and transport-related emissions.

“LEED v5 puts greater focus on sustainable building operations. Credits for plans to improve performance, alongside new categories for resilience and human impact, indicate the shift towards longer-term, dynamic sustainability measures,” says Annalise Dum, Senior Vice President, Sustainability at JLL.

Market emphasis on operational performance is increasingly driven by corporate occupiers who seek spaces that support their net zero commitments.

BREEAM v7, rolling out this year, has a renewed focus on managing and reporting whole-life carbon and net zero targets, aligning with global sustainability benchmarks and EU taxonomy. Certifications from Living Future Institute (formerly the International Living Future Institute), also dial up thresholds on energy efficiency and embodied carbon.

“The intent is to align with net zero, which is indicative of the market direction of travel,” says Matthew Ramsey, Associate, Sustainability Consulting at JLL. “Going beyond emissions monitoring, BREEAM v7 credits emissions reduction, and introduces prerequisites for water efficiency, ecology and health, in step with evolving corporate sustainability strategies.” 

Achieving green certifications of any level requires early and frequent engagement between leadership, asset stakeholders, and project teams, including design teams for construction projects and on-site operational teams for existing buildings.

Business-wide alignment is essential. “While leadership sets organizational sustainability goals, it is crucial they communicate to facilities teams and project managers how these goals should be supported by commercial real estate projects and operations – and ideally provide the financial support to realize them,” says Dum.

Wider collaboration between landlords and tenants on co-funding certification-aligned upgrades can also help both parties progress towards decarbonization goals as well as lower operational costs, Dum adds.

As corporate carbon commitments increase demand for sustainable buildings amid lacking supply, tougher green certification standards can provide a clearer pathway for decarbonization and realizing the benefits of energy efficient, socially inclusive and climate resilient real estate.

“Ultimately, best-in-class certifications such as LEED and BREEAM provide a reliable roadmap for creating high-performing, healthy buildings, and can help organizations to progress on their decarbonization journeys. That’s why green certifications should be considered across all industries and asset types,” says Dum.