BREEAM Podcast: Understanding BREEAM - what’s new in BREEAM V7?

In this episode of The BREEAM Podcast, Breana Wheeler, BRE’s US Director of Operations talks to Tom Wilson, Head of BREEAM Development about the launch of BREEAM New Construction Version 7 and what it means for designers, developers and the sustainability of the built environment.  

Some of the topics covered are: 

• The electrification of buildings and how this energy strategy can help decarbonise the built environment 
• Net zero carbon buildings and how BREEAM can support their development 
• How BRE used building science to develop BREEAM in the 1990s, when sustainability of the built environment was a relatively new concept 
• How the new BREEAM digital platform makes reporting less of a chore and enables building managers and owners to act on the data 

Listen now 

Available now on Acast, Amazon, Apple and Spotify.

About this episode 

To read more about some of the topics discussed: 

Discover more about BREEAM Version 7: BREEAM New Construction V7 

Electrification of buildings: The essential guide to electrifying your existing building - GRESB 

Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard: Pilot Version | UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard 

Biographies  

Breana Wheeler oversees the deployment of the BREEAM family of standards in the US, including BREEAM USA In-Use for existing buildings. In addition to market development, she supports technical work on Resilience and Social Impact and developing these themes within all BREEAM standards globally. Prior to joining BRE, Breana worked for ten years as an internal advisor on environmental and sustainability risk management for large, multinational corporations. Breana has just been recognised as one of the recipients of The SustainabilityX® Magazine's Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ 2025. 

Tom Wilson leads the development of the BREEAM family of standards globally. Tom started his career in sustainable construction working on climate adaptation at the UK Climate Impacts Programme at Oxford University. Tom joined BRE in 2011, initially training hundreds of BREEAM Assessors around the world as part of the BRE Academy. He then took on BREEAM International which he helped to grow strongly over a number of years. This was followed by a year in the USA working with the team to establish BREEAM in that market. He currently leads the development of BREEAM, working with a team of subject matter experts, software developers and product managers to ensure BREEAM continues to deliver the biggest possible impact on sustainability in the built environment.