BREEAM has approved the use of three third party certification schemes for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with the BREEAM criteria for ‘volatile organic compound (VOC) emission levels (products)’. The schemes and their operators are:

• SCS Global Services
  • FloorScore®
  • Indoor AdvantageTM Gold - Building Materials
• UL LLC
  • GREENGUARD Certified/GREENGUARD Gold

“This approval means that BREEAM is now recognising three more certification schemes which address the issue of VOCs in construction and fit-out products. We are pleased to recognise these world-leading schemes from SCS and UL” says Alan Yates, Technical Director for BREEAM. This additional means of compliance is applicable for the following current BREEAM schemes and can also be retrospectively applied to superseded versions of these schemes that include similar VOC criteria:

• BREEAM International: New Construction 2013 (Hea 02) & Non-Domestic Refurbishment and Fit-out 2015 (Hea 02)
• BREEAM UK:  New Construction 2014 (Hea 02), Domestic Refurbishment 2014 (Hea 03) & Non-Domestic Refurbishment and Fit-out 2014 (Hea 02)

ENDS Press enquiries – BRE: Linda McKeown, +44 (0)1923 664569, mckeownl@bre.co.uk Notes for Editors

1. BREEAM is the internationally recognised measure of sustainability for buildings and communities. More than 425,000 certificates have been issued under BREEAM on more than 24,000 projects around the world, and 1.9 million buildings and communities are registered for certification. BREEAM is used in more than 70 countries.
2. SCS Global Services has been providing global leadership in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for three decades. Programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, and more. SCS is a Benefit Corporation, reflecting its corporate commitment to creating a material positive impact on society and the environment.  For information, visit www.scsglobalservices.com.
3. The FloorScore standard was developed by SCS Global Services in collaboration with the Resilient Floor Coverings Institute (RFCI), a non-profit industry organization representing more than 95% of resilient flooring marketed in North America.  For information on FloorScore, visit www.rfci.com.
4. UL’s GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications are internationally recognised and scientifically proven to identify products which meet some of the world’s most rigorous third party chemical emissions standards. The GREENGUARD Gold certification standard includes health-based criteria for additional chemicals and also requires lower total VOC emissions levels to ensure that products are acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities. For more information visit www.ul.com/gg