Industrial buildings: towards ECO construction with LEED and BREEAM

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05Feb
2025
The industrial sector is a major player in our economy, but it also has a significant impact on the environment. To reduce this impact and promote more sustainable practices, many environmental certifications have been created. The most recognized are LEED and BREEAM.

In this article, we will explore these two certifications and their implications for industrial buildings in detail.


What is an environmental certification for an industrial building?

An environmental certification for an industrial building is an official recognition that the building meets specific criteria for environmental performance. These criteria may cover various aspects such as:
  • Energy consumption: reduction of energy consumption through efficient systems and renewable energies.
  • Water management: optimisation of water consumption and implementation of recovery systems.
  • The materials used: give priority to sustainable, recyclable and low environmental impact materials.
  • Indoor air quality: ensuring healthy and pollutant-free indoor air.
  • Waste management: implementation of strategies for the reduction, recycling and recovery of waste.
  • Outdoor spaces: developing green areas, managing biodiversity.
  • Innovation: implementation of innovative solutions to improve the environmental performance of buildings.


LEED: The American standard

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a widely used American certification. It assesses the environmental performance of buildings throughout their life cycle, from design to operation.

What does each level of LEED certification mean?
The LEED certificate takes into account a wide range of criteria and offers several levels of certification, from lowest to highest:
  • Certified: the building meets basic sustainability requirements.
  • Silver: the building exceeds the basic requirements and incorporates innovative elements.
  • Gold: The building is achieving a very high level of environmental performance.
  • Platinum: the building represents the best of sustainable construction and integrates avant-garde solutions.


BREEAM: The European leader

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a British certification that assesses the environmental performance of new and existing buildings. It is particularly popular in Europe and comes in several schemes to meet the specificities of different types of buildings. BREEAM focuses on biodiversity and eco-mobility.
What does each level of BREEAM certification mean?
The BREEAM certification levels are generally as follows:


  • Pass: This is the basic level. The building meets the minimum requirements of certification, in accordance with environmental regulations, demonstrating a basic commitment to sustainability.
  • Good: This level indicates that the building exceeds the basic requirements and has above-average environmental performance, such as the use of recycled materials, Efficient water management or installation of efficient heating and cooling systems.
  • Very Good: This level rewards buildings that have implemented significant sustainability strategies and achieved very positive environmental results.
  • Excellent: This level is awarded to buildings that have achieved a very high level of environmental performance, demonstrating innovation and excellence in sustainable design and construction.
  • Outstanding: The highest level, reserved for buildings that have achieved exceptional performance in all areas evaluated by BREEAM. These buildings represent the state of the art in sustainability.


LEED vs. BREEAM Comparison

Although BREEAM and LEED are both building sustainability assessment systems, they have some differences:


  LEED BREEAM
Origin United States United Kingdom
Scope International   Mainly European
Criteria   Wide range of criteria Focus on biodiversity and eco-mobility
Certification levels Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum Acceptable, Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, Outstanding

In conclusion, choosing a LEED or BREEAM certifier is an important decision that will impact the success of your project, they provide a clear and precise scale to assess the environmental performance of a building. By choosing a high level of ambition, the construction industry is helping to build a more sustainable future