We have adapted the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) for schools and since 2005 it has been our requirement that major school building projects achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of ‘very good’. To complement this requirement we are planning to introduce new standards for carbon emissions attributable to energy used within new school buildings.
The Department is also funding demonstration schemes that will achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘excellent’ and we have commissioned a study to investigate the potential implications of raising the target to ‘excellent’. The outcomes of these initiatives work will inform future policy.