Featured Insights

Houses being built with exposed roof trusses

BRE responds to reports of UK government’s u-turn on biodiversity net gains

BRE responds to reports that the UK Government is to delay new environmental building guidelines, which are designed to ensure developers leave the natural environment in a measurably improved state
Aerial view of green tree tops

BRE responds to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s update to UK green policies

BRE has long argued that we urgently require a clear, long-term plan to transition our homes and buildings away from fossil fuel boilers and on to clean heat, and the
A man sitting at a desk looking at a PC screen showing various building schematics.

Environmental Product Declarations for construction products with BRE

The built environment contributes 40% of greenhouse gases globally. In an era defined by growing environmental consciousness, businesses are increasingly recognising the need to adopt sustainable practices to mitigate their
Indoor environment with houseplants in foreground

Navigating urbanisation: a focus on better standards for indoor air quality

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that outdoor and indoor air pollution contribute to millions of premature deaths annually. As we primarily live within indoor spaces, we become more susceptible
contemporary apartments

Advancing ESG: Driving asset sustainability with BREEAM and GRESB

Hear from Breana Wheeler, US Director of Operations at BREEAM, and Dan Winters, Senior Director of Market Development and Strategic Initiatives at GRESB, as they discuss how the commercial real
Biodiversity and the natural environment | BREEAM

Building an effective net zero strategy with BREEAM

Investors and owners in every major real estate market in the world are grappling with the risks and opportunities presented by climate change, and the pressing need to decarbonise the
The gesticulating arms of an unseen person sits at a desk. On the desk sits a mobile phone and a laptop with a blurred screen

Driving change: BREEAM and net zero carbon update

As the need to address the impact of the built environment becomes more urgent, the launch of BREEAM Version 7 consultation and BRE’s net zero carbon survey aims to put
A child washing her hands at the sink

Changing the way we heat our homes to meet net zero: putting households at the centre.

According to BRE research, sixty two percent of British home owners wouldn’t feel at all confident explaining how a heat pump works and in Autumn 2022 a UK government survey
Sustainable housing development

Why we welcome the National Planning Policy Framework evolving to reflect carbon

Only by understanding the full carbon impact of all planned developments, including embodied and operational carbon emissions, can the planning system begin to incentivise carbon neutral or – even better
green building

BRE responds to the Net Zero Review

The UK Government has published the review of net zero targets and policy by former minister Chris Skidmore MP, which BRE fed into. The review is comprehensive, with sensible and
Mother and child in bathroom

As energy bills rise, how can we tackle fuel poverty in the UK? 

As energy bills continue to rise, the latest fuel poverty data, which we produced for the UK Government, reveals the household groups who are most at risk.
terraced houses

What does the Chancellor’s Spring statement mean for the built environment and net zero?

On Wednesday 23 March, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP issued his 2022 Spring Statement, setting out the state of the UK’s economy amidst rising inflation and a cost
Gillian Charlesworth CEO at BRE

How decarbonising the built environment is the key to meeting net zero

Gillian Charlesworth, CEO at BRE The climate change crisis is not just about power plants and car engines: our homes and buildings play a huge role in warming our planet.
Newcastle city centre

What does the Levelling Up White Paper mean for the built environment and net zero?

Tuesday 2 February 2022 saw the publication of the UK Government’s long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper, setting out its plans to “spread opportunity and prosperity
Gillian Charlesworth CEO at BRE

Our response to the Levelling Up White Paper

The UK government published its Levelling Up White Paper. Our CEO, Gillian Charlesworth commented:   "We welcome the White Paper’s intention to improve people’s wellbeing and standards of living by enhancing
Gillian Charlesworth CEO at BRE

In 2022 we must set our sights beyond compliance

Gillian Charlesworth, CEO at BRE As we come to the end of 2021 – a year of serious challenges probably few of us envisaged – where does sentiment currently lie
Mother cleaning child's teeth in bathroom

Fuel poverty and its impact on domestic energy consumption in England

Helen Garrett, Principal Consultant, BRE The Department for Business and Energy and Industrial Strategy has published a series of reports as part of the Energy Follow Up Survey (EFUS), a
Apartment block

The UK Heat and Buildings strategy. Does it go far enough?

After over a year of waiting, the UK government published the Heat and Buildings Strategy (HBS) alongside the Net Zero Strategy this week, which shows that the built environment is
Breana Wheeler

Why we must act now on net zero

says Breana Wheeler, BRE's Director of US Operations The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate report has not only highlighted that global temperatures are likely to rise above
Gillian Charlesworth CEO at BRE

BRE celebrates 100 years of world class innovation in the built environment

Today sees BRE begin the celebrations of its centenary as a pioneer in the built environment. First formed in 1921 to carry out research into building materials and suitable methods