Puma Property Finance partners with BREEAM on enhanced Impact Lending Framework

BREEAM has been introduced as a new independently verified certification route in Puma Property Finance’s enhanced Impact Lending Framework (ILF), giving property developers more choice in how they demonstrate ambitious sustainability and social outcomes while still accessing meaningful financial discounts.

Developed by BRE, BREEAM has been the world-leading sustainability assessment method for planning projects, infrastructure and buildings for over 30 years, with over 3 million BREEAM-registered buildings across 108 countries. Puma Property Finance has partnered with BREEAM to create a new independently verified certification route, verified through Sintali, and NextGeneration Project.

Projects targeting BREEAM Excellent can qualify for the 0.5% Impact tier, while projects achieving BREEAM Outstanding can qualify for the 1.0% Impact+ tier. The framework also continues to recognise EDGE and NextGeneration Project, with EDGE Advanced and NextGeneration Gold able to qualify for the Impact+ tier when paired with an additional environmental or social criterion.

To qualify under the updated framework, all developments must now first meet two minimum requirements: EPC A on completion and fossil fuel free operation. Beyond those minimum requirements, qualifying developments can receive a 0.5% or 1.0% exit fee reduction, applied at repayment once performance has been independently verified.

The enhanced ILF raises the minimum standards required to qualify, ensuring the framework continues to support robust, measurable impact across a wider range of asset types, development activities and sustainability strategies. Launched in 2024, the ILF was created to reward developers that deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes. 

Since launch, it has seen strong uptake across over 30 developments and a wide range of asset classes, reflecting growing demand from developers for finance that links sustainability ambition with commercial benefit.

The updated framework also encourages developers to look beyond building certification alone. Its additional criteria menu includes developments located in areas of social deprivation, Real Living Wage employer commitments, Certified B Corp status, affordable housing above 25%, and Biodiversity Net Gain above 20%. These criteria are designed to reward wider social value, location-based impact and environmental benefits, while ensuring outcomes remain independently measurable.

The partnership with BREEAM reflects the increased maturity of the sustainable development market. BREEAM is a world-leading sustainability assessment method for the built environment and infrastructure, used to assess whole-life performance across new build, refurbishment and fit-out, and in-use assets.

The updated framework also encourages developers to look beyond building certification alone. Its additional criteria menu includes developments located in areas of social deprivation, Real Living Wage employer commitments, Certified B Corp status, affordable housing above 25%, and Biodiversity Net Gain above 20%. These criteria are designed to reward wider social value, location-based impact and environmental benefits, while ensuring outcomes remain independently measurable. The partnership reflects the increased maturity of the sustainable development market..

Tom Wilson, Director of BREEAM, said:

“BREEAM accreditation is a key mechanism for validating asset value and Puma Property Finance are pioneers in setting clear incentives to target high asset performance.

“Finance has an important role to play in accelerating better outcomes across the built environment and when lenders recognise and reward higher levels of sustainability performance, it strengthens the commercial case for developers to go further than minimum requirements.

“The changing climate has made sustainability and resilience core considerations for investment decisions, and BREEAM provides an independent, robust and transparent framework to prove performance across the whole lifecycle of buildings.”

Dee Korab, Head of Impact at Puma Property Finance, said:

“The ILF was launched to make it financially compelling for developers to deliver stronger sustainability and social outcomes. The response from the market has been hugely encouraging, with strong uptake across different sectors and geographies.

“We have also seen significant progress across the development market. Developers, investors and occupiers are becoming more sophisticated in how they assess sustainability, resilience and long-term value. As the market evolves, we want our framework to continue supporting and incentivising ambitious and stretching sustainability and social impact outcomes.

“By introducing BREEAM as a certification pathway, while continuing to work with important partners including Sintali on EDGE Certification, we are giving developers greater choice while also raising the bar. The strengthened framework is more stretching, but that is intentional. We want to support developers who are going beyond minimum requirements and creating buildings that are more sustainable, commercially resilient and socially valuable.

“Buildings with stronger sustainability credentials attract stronger tenants, support institutional demand and help protect long-term asset value. As a development lender, we are present at the point when those decisions are still being made, and our role is to encourage and support the delivery of better developments.”