BREEAM Material Credits

What is BREEAM?

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the world's longest-established green building rating system. Developed in the UK in 1990, it assesses buildings across ten categories including energy, water, health, and materials.

For material specifiers, two credits matter most: Mat 01 (Environmental Impacts from Construction Products) and Mat 03 (Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products). Together, these credits reward teams that choose lower-impact materials and verify where they come from.

Mat 01: Environmental impacts

Mat 01 uses lifecycle assessment (LCA) data to measure the environmental impact of the building's major elements - superstructure, substructure, external walls, windows, internal finishes, and building services. Points are awarded based on how the building compares to a benchmark.

1.Use EPD data for key building elements

Credits require Environmental Product Declarations covering at least the building superstructure and envelope.

2.Benchmark against BREEAM Green Guide ratings

Products rated A+ to E. Specifying higher-rated products earns more credits.

3.Conduct a lifecycle assessment

A whole-building LCA covering at minimum stages A1-A5, B1-B5, and C1-C4 to demonstrate environmental performance.

Tip. Start your LCA early in the design process. Waiting until construction stage limits your options for earning Mat 01 credits - the biggest wins come from early specification decisions.

Mat 03: Responsible sourcing

Mat 03 rewards the use of construction products that come from responsibly managed supply chains. It looks at whether manufacturers have environmental management systems, ethical sourcing policies, and third-party certification.

Products with recognised certification schemes (FSC, PEFC, BES 6001, C2C) score highest
Manufacturer environmental management systems (ISO 14001, EMAS) contribute points at a lower tier
The credit applies to key building elements: frame, ground floor, upper floors, roof, external walls, internal walls, foundations, and stairways
Up to 3 credits are available, with higher scores for more certified elements

Which certifications count for BREEAM?

Not all sustainability labels carry equal weight in BREEAM. The system uses a tiered approach that gives more credit to more rigorous certification schemes.

Topic	Detail
Tier 1 (highest)	BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing, Cradle to Cradle, FSC (for timber products)
Tier 2	PEFC, SFI, and equivalent chain-of-custody certifications for timber
Tier 3	ISO 14001 or EMAS at the manufacturer level
EPDs	essential for Mat 01 but do not directly contribute to Mat 03 responsible sourcing scores

Note. BES 6001 is the UK standard specifically designed for BREEAM responsible sourcing credits. It covers the full supply chain from raw material extraction through manufacturing.

How to maximise material credits

Earning BREEAM material credits is about planning and evidence, not heroic last-minute specification changes. The most successful projects embed material credit targets into the procurement process from the start.

Set credit targets early: agree Mat 01 and Mat 03 targets at RIBA Stage 2 and build them into the specification
Request EPDs from suppliers: if a supplier does not have an EPD, ask if one is in progress - many are
Check responsible sourcing certificates: ask suppliers for BES 6001, FSC, or ISO 14001 evidence before procurement
Use the BREEAM Green Guide ratings as a fallback when EPDs are unavailable for common building elements
Track evidence: maintain a materials tracker spreadsheet linking each specification to its EPD and sourcing certificate
Brief the contractor: ensure the supply chain understands which products need certification evidence at handover

Common mistakes to avoid

Teams often lose BREEAM material credits not because they made poor choices, but because they failed to collect or submit the right evidence.

Topic	Detail
Assuming all EPDs are equal	product-specific EPDs score higher than industry-average or sector EPDs
Ignoring subcontractor materials	internal finishes, M&E components, and fit-out materials all count towards the assessment
Late substitutions	swapping a certified product for an uncertified alternative during construction can lose credits already claimed at design stage
Missing documentation	credits require evidence at assessment - if you cannot prove it, you cannot claim it