SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BREEAM – the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings, infrastructure and communities – announced the launch of BREEAM USA In-Use Version 6, a locally adapted version of the internationally renowned BREEAM program for existing buildings. The update, the first since the program was first launched in 2016, includes new and improved criteria for the Commercial program (BREEAM USA In-Use V6 Commercial) and expanded to include the brand-new standard for Residential assets (BREEAM USA In-Use V6 Residential).

The update builds on BREEAM’s global experience with the residential assets and from an 18-month long pilot process with participants around the world, including Alliance Residential Company, Greystar and Lord Green Real Estate Strategies. Another important component of the update is its increased focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation with the incorporation of a new Resilience category. This category integrates Resilience with Environmental Performance and Occupant Health and Wellbeing at the asset level, meaning this update will consider past environmental performance and encourage the protection of the asset’s environmental and financial performance in the future.

Similarly, Version 6 has woven Social Impact into the standard, reflecting the social and economic benefits of meeting environmental objectives. This encourages assets to see that asset resilience and overall sustainability are deeply connected to the resilience and sustainability of the communities in which they are located, including direct references to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. BREEAM is the first rating system to incorporate these elements, alongside Environmental Performance, into a single platform with a focus on existing buildings.

Shamir Ghumra, BREEAM Director, said: “One of the most significant changes with this update was to pivot BREEAM from not just looking back at past environmental performance but looking towards protecting the asset’s environmental and financial performance in the future.

“This linking of asset value growth and protection and environmental performance has always existed in BREEAM, but our changing world made it imperative that it was addressed more intentionally. The current pandemic situation underlines that sustainability and a focus on environmental, social and governance performance is now more crucial than ever.

BREEAM USA In-Use Version 6 will carry out a phased transition from the 2016 version to make sure that assessors and clients have enough time before they have to upgrade. Registrations for v2016 will remain open for up to a year from today except for certified assets that are due to expire after this one-year window.

BRE will be hosting a series of four free webinars to introduce the new version: