BREEAM Webinar Series: Driving Energy Excellence in Refurbishment and Fit Out.

On 23 April 2026, BRE continued its webinar series with Driving Energy Excellence in Refurbishment & Fit Out, chaired by James Fisher, BRE, and featuring a panel of expert speakers. The session explored how BREEAM Version 7 strengthens the assessment of energy performance in refurbishment projects, aligning more closely with new construction principles while recognising the practical constraints of existing buildings. It also highlighted new approaches to measuring both energy use and carbon intensity, alongside how buildings can adapt to an increasingly dynamic energy system—supporting the delivery of more efficient, future-ready assets.

If you missed this webinar, the recording is now available for you to view.

quotes

James Fisher – Head of Strategic Partnerships, BRE.

"Around a quarter of European carbon emissions are linked to the built environment, much of it driven by operational energy use. With approximately 80% of existing buildings still in use by 2050, refurbishment and fit-out are critical to achieving net zero — offering the potential to reduce energy demand by between 50 and 75 percent. BREEAM Version 7 strengthens how energy performance is assessed in refurbishment and fit-out schemes, providing a credible, science-based framework that closely aligns with new construction standards while recognising real-world constraints, helping developers, asset managers and owners to improve long-term performance, meet ESG goals and minimise whole-life carbon."

Derk Welling – Senior Portfolio Manager, Responsible Investments Real Estate, APG Asset Management.

"BREEAM In-Use is a vital tool, not just for certification, but for obtaining reliable, certified data on which informed investment decisions can be made. My vision is that CRREM can function as the intel processor inside certification schemes like BREEAM, with the certificate delivering information assessed by a third party, indicating whether an asset is performing against an established norm. This is less about benchmarking and more about understanding whether an asset is genuinely on a trajectory towards net zero. We create value by looking forward, not backwards, and that is where the real importance lies. The additional benefit of BREEAM In-Use is that it covers multiple ESG aspects including health and wellbeing, biodiversity and transport, meaning the most material indicators are included within a single scheme. Once we can fully unlock that data, we can analyse which indicators deliver real value in our investments."

Ian Hally – Founder and CEO AT GreenPlace.

"The market is increasingly pricing in obsolescence risk and the capex required to address it. As operational carbon continues to fall, we can envision a growing focus on fabric and embodied carbon, with the market beginning to price that in too. How much capex is needed to reduce embodied carbon, reduce risk and increase the value of a building? Just as we have seen market signals through rents and cap rates on operational carbon, we may well see something similar emerging on the embodied carbon side. Retrofits and refurbishments are, I believe, the key driver and best scenario for reducing embodied carbon. With 75% of Europe's buildings yet to be refurbished, and only a fraction being upgraded in a way that can genuinely be called sustainable, the opportunity and the urgency could not be clearer."

Andrea Roberts – Senior Consultant – Operational Carbon at BRE.

"In Version 7, buildings are now recognised as dynamic and intelligent assets, with the inclusion of smart controls, system responsiveness and demand-side response capabilities, alongside a greater emphasis on fabric efficiency and long-term performance — truly future-proofing assets for evolving energy and market demands. The key benefits are clear: stronger protection of asset value through improved performance certainty, reduced operational costs through real energy reduction, and enhanced ESG alignment in support of net zero strategies. Add to that improved decision-making via better energy modelling and monitoring, greater attractiveness for institutional investors and occupiers, and increased resilience to future energy regulation and market change. Overall, these Version 7 changes position energy performance as a direct driver of asset value."

Marek Kremeň – Vice Chairman of Slovak Green Building Council at Chief Executive Officer at EXERGY.

"Pradiareň 1900 is a useful example of where the market is heading. Its reconstruction was not simply about restoring a historic building or securing a certification — it was about using design, technology and operational discipline to create a workplace that performs to a far higher standard than the original asset ever could. The decision to pursue BREEAM was voluntary, and that is precisely what makes it significant — used as a tool to improve quality and performance rather than merely to evidence compliance. Occupiers of Takeda's calibre are no longer selecting buildings solely on location or image; they are increasingly drawn to assets that support talent, wellbeing, operational reliability and long-term efficiency. The most valuable assets will be those that combine heritage, sustainability, operational intelligence and occupier relevance into a single, performance-led proposition."