BREEAM marks 10 years in the U.S.: a decade of sustainable building progress

Ten years ago, BREEAM began a new chapter in the U.S.

Since then, the market has changed significantly. Owners, investors and developers have moved sustainability from a specialist consideration to a core part of how they evaluate asset performance, risk and long-term value. Expectations around building performance have evolved, too, as the built environment has responded to challenges ranging from decarbonisation and resource efficiency to climate resilience and the changing needs of occupiers.

As the leading global standard for building sustainability, BREEAM has evolved alongside the market while persistently providing a science-based, evidence-led framework to help the market understand, measure and improve building performance. This matters not only to those who own and manage buildings, but also to the people and communities that depend on them.

From schools and hospitals to offices, apartments, hotels and data centres, buildings shape how people live, work and access essential services. How these spaces are designed, operated and maintained directly affects the comfort and wellbeing of the people who use them, and improving building performance supports healthier, more efficient and more resilient places for people and communities to thrive.

As BREEAM marks its 10th anniversary in the U.S., we’re celebrating the projects, partnerships and people that have shaped its growth and raised performance standards across the country. We’re also looking ahead to how digital technology, better data and shared expertise can strengthen the way the industry assesses buildings, tracks progress and adapts to emerging challenges, creating value for businesses, their people and the communities they’ll serve for generations to come.
 

Building on a global foundation

BREEAM has enabled asset owners to assess and benchmark the sustainability performance of their buildings since 1990. Over more than three decades, it has grown into the leading global standard used in 100+ countries and across diverse building types, offering a consistent approach that can be applied to the needs of different markets.

In 2016, the U.S., as the world’s largest real estate market, was a natural next step. BREEAM's entry into the market focused on the sustainability challenges and opportunities presented by the country's existing stock of 5.6 million commercial buildings. Elevating these buildings was an important part of reducing built environment emissions and increasing efficiency, and the opportunity for impact extended well beyond the assets themselves. Better building performance meant reducing environmental impact while recognising the role these properties play in people’s everyday lives and the long-term vitality of their communities.

It was particularly important to look beyond high-performing trophy assets and create a pathway for buildings with the greatest opportunity for improvement. Guiding these assets to make measurable progress could have a much broader impact and push the whole industry forward.

Many organisations using BREEAM across their UK, European and global portfolios were also looking to translate existing asset and risk management strategies to U.S. assets. A consistent approach would allow them to compare performance across markets and identify where investment could deliver the greatest improvements. This demand reinforced the case for BREEAM in the U.S. and demonstrated the strength of its model, combining a globally recognised framework with the local expertise needed to apply it effectively across different environments.
 

An evolving market

Looking back ten years, sustainability conversations were often centred on individual environmental measures and the pursuit of certification itself. Today, the conversation is much deeper.

Building owners and investors are considering how sustainability performance connects to operating costs, occupant experience, business continuity and long-term value preservation. The challenges have become more complex as well, as buildings respond to a changing climate, evolving energy systems, resource constraints, regulatory requirements and market expectations.

For those with long-term investment horizons, decisions made today can influence the performance and resilience of an asset for decades to come. This highlights the value of frameworks like BREEAM that turn broad sustainability ambitions into measurable outcomes that make a difference for real people in communities around the world.
 

Growing across markets and asset classes

Since its introduction to the U.S. market, BREEAM has seen significant growth in both its reach and application across North America.

In 2025, the total number of BREEAM certifications in North America was more than 90% higher than in 2023, with growth spanning established markets and states receiving their first BREEAM-certified projects. Adoption has also spanned across asset classes, including student accommodation, multifamily and office, while industrial remains a significant part of BREEAM's U.S. portfolio. Today, BREEAM certifications have been issued for assets in 36 states and the District of Columbia.

This expanding footprint creates opportunities to build a stronger evidence base across markets and asset types, helping the industry share knowledge and better understand the strategies that improve building performance.

A network built around shared expertise

The growth of BREEAM in the U.S. cannot be separated from the people behind it.

Over the past decade, Assessors, Accredited Professionals, developers, owners, investors, occupiers and industry partners have brought BREEAM into projects across the country. They have applied the framework to different building types and markets, shared lessons from the field and demonstrated what better building performance can look like in practice.

Every project contributes to a broader understanding of what works, where challenges remain and how sustainability can become part of the decisions that shape buildings.

As we celebrate this moment, we want to recognise everyone who has been part of that journey: the clients who trusted the framework, the Assessors and Accredited Professionals who put it into practice and the partners who have helped bring BREEAM to new audiences and sectors.
 

Looking ahead to the next decade

A decade is an important milestone. It is also a point to look forward and consider what owners, investors and communities will need from the next generation of sustainability standards.

Owners are navigating competing demands, from controlling operating costs and allocating capital to preparing for climate risks and changing stakeholder expectations. Across large, diverse portfolios, understanding how individual properties perform is only part of the picture. The greater opportunity lies in identifying patterns, comparing outcomes and seeing where targeted improvements can make the biggest difference.

Digital technology can bring this information together in new ways. Better connected data and analytical tools can give owners a more complete view of their portfolios, reveal emerging risks and track progress over time. Paired with BREEAM’s evidence-led methodology, these capabilities can build a more robust link between sustainability assessments and the decisions that shape a building’s performance throughout its lifecycle.

The implications reach beyond individual portfolios. More resilient buildings and better-prepared businesses can reduce exposure to disruption, protect the environments people depend on and contribute to more reliable supply chains. Realising that potential will require continued collaboration across the industry, with owners, investors, assessors and technology providers sharing expertise and developing approaches that work in practice.

BREEAM’s role includes evolving alongside the market while preserving the scientific rigour that has underpinned the framework since 1990. This means extending the value of a common standard across international portfolios, equipping professionals with the knowledge and tools to apply it effectively and exploring how better data and digital capabilities can deepen the industry's understanding of what drives stronger outcomes.

Ten years of BREEAM in the U.S. represents a decade of projects, partnerships, learning and progress. We are proud to celebrate the community that has helped build it and look forward to building on that foundation, advancing the role of better buildings in creating lasting value for businesses and communities over the next decade and beyond.