What is the primary objective of **BREEAM**?

**BREEAM's primary objective is to provide a science-led sustainability assessment and third-party certification framework for the built environment.** Developed by BRE in 1990, it measures performance across categories like **Management**, **Health & Wellbeing**, **Energy**, **Transport**, **Water**, **Materials**, **Waste**, **Land Use & Ecology**, **Pollution**, and **Innovation**. Credits are weighted and scored to yield ratings from **Pass (≥30%)** to **Outstanding (≥85%)**, enabling comparable verification of environmental, social, and resilience outcomes for buildings, infrastructure, and communities.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **BREEAM**?

**No organizations are legally required to comply with BREEAM, as it is a voluntary certification scheme.** Professionally, it applies to developers, owners, and operators of new construction, refurbishments, in-use assets, communities, or infrastructure seeking market differentiation, ESG credibility, or alignment with planning incentives. Licensed **BREEAM Assessors** and **Advisory Professionals (APs)** are mandatory for certification, with BRE Global conducting quality audits under ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation.

Does **BREEAM** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**Yes, BREEAM mandates third-party certification by BRE Global following quality audits of licensed Assessor submissions.** Assessors compile evidence against scheme-specific technical manuals and **Knowledge Base Compliance Notes (KBCNs)**; BRE performs QA, potentially including site visits, to issue ratings. This ensures impartiality and credibility for schemes like **New Construction** or **In-Use**.

How often should an assessment for **BREEAM** be performed?

**BREEAM In-Use certifications are valid for 3 years, requiring reassessment for renewal.** New Construction, Refurbishment & Fit-Out, and Infrastructure assessments occur once per project lifecycle, with design-stage and post-construction stages. **Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE)** is recommended ongoing to verify performance, supported by tools like sub-metering.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **BREEAM**?

**Non-compliance with BREEAM results in denied credits, lower ratings, or failed certification, with no direct legal penalties as it is voluntary.** Consequences include lost market premiums (e.g., up to 25% rental uplift), rejected planning incentives, weakened ESG reporting, and ineligibility for green finance. BRE may reject submissions, delaying projects.

An **BREEAM** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**BREEAM does not officially map to other frameworks within its standalone schemes.** However, Version 7 aligns with **EU Taxonomy** for technical screening criteria, supporting net-zero and disclosure needs. Organizations independently correlate categories like **Energy** or **Health & Wellbeing** for ESG integration.

What is the first step to begin implementing **BREEAM**?

**The first step is to select the appropriate scheme (e.g., New Construction, In-Use) and appoint a licensed BREEAM Assessor early at project inception.** Conduct a pre-assessment using the technical manual to target a rating (e.g., Excellent ≥70%), register the project, and embed credits into design and procurement.

What is the primary objective of **CIS Controls**?

**The primary objective of CIS Controls is to provide a prioritized set of 18 cybersecurity best practices across 153 safeguards to reduce organizational attack surface and mitigate the most common cyber threats.** CIS Controls v8.1, developed by the Center for Internet Security, emphasizes foundational hygiene like asset inventory (Control 1) and software control (Control 2), structured via Implementation Groups (IG1–IG3) for scalable adoption by organizations of all sizes.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **CIS Controls**?

**No organization is legally mandated to comply with CIS Controls, as it is a voluntary, consensus-driven framework rather than a regulation.** Professionally, it applies to all industries and sizes—from SMBs targeting IG1's 56 essential safeguards to enterprises pursuing IG3—particularly CISOs, IT managers, compliance officers, and sectors like finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure seeking demonstrated cyber hygiene for contracts, insurance, and regulatory alignment.

Does **CIS Controls** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**CIS Controls does not require external audits or third-party certification, as it lacks a formal certification program.** Organizations self-assess using tools like CIS Controls Navigator or CIS-CAT against the 153 safeguards and IG1–IG3, with evidence often accepted by insurers, regulators, and partners for baseline hygiene validation; penetration testing (Control 18) provides internal assurance.

How often should an assessment for **CIS Controls** be performed?

**CIS Controls assessments should be performed continuously, with formal gap analyses at least annually or after significant changes.** IG1–IG3 self-assessments via CIS RAM or Navigator track metrics like asset coverage and vulnerability remediation; automated tools enable ongoing monitoring of the 153 safeguards, with quarterly reviews recommended for high-maturity programs.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **CIS Controls**?

**Non-compliance with CIS Controls carries no direct legal penalties, but exposes organizations to heightened breach risk, regulatory findings, and operational fallout.** Poor hygiene enables common attacks, leading to data breaches, fines under sector laws (e.g., via demonstrated negligence), insurance premium hikes, lost contracts, and recovery costs averaging $4.45M per IBM data.

An **CIS Controls** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, CIS Controls v8.1 provides official mappings to over 25 frameworks via the CIS Controls Navigator tool.** The 18 controls and 153 safeguards align with NIST CSF 2.0 (e.g., Govern function), PCI DSS, HIPAA, and others, enabling organizations to implement CIS as a unified operational layer satisfying multiple regimes without duplication.

What is the first step to begin implementing **CIS Controls**?

**The first step to implement CIS Controls is to secure executive sponsorship and conduct a baseline maturity assessment using CIS RAM to select the target Implementation Group (IG1–IG3).** Prioritize Phase 0 governance: define scope, inventory assets (Controls 1–2), and identify quick wins like MFA deployment from the 56 IG1 safeguards.

BREEAM vs CIS Controls

Standards Comparison

BREEAM

Voluntary

1990

Sustainability certification framework for built environment performance

CIS Controls

Voluntary

2021

Prioritized cybersecurity best practices framework

Quick Verdict

BREEAM certifies sustainable buildings for ESG and value uplift, while CIS Controls provide prioritized cybersecurity hygiene reducing breach risks. Companies adopt BREEAM for green credentials and market edge; CIS for resilient defenses and compliance alignment.

Building Sustainability

BREEAM

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

Cost

€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Cybersecurity

CIS Controls

CIS Critical Security Controls v8.1

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

18 prioritized controls with 153 actionable safeguards
Implementation Groups IG1-IG3 for scalable adoption
Mappings to NIST CSF, ISO 27001, PCI DSS
Asset/software inventory and vulnerability management focus
Technology-agnostic, community-driven best practices

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

BREEAM Details

What It Is

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a science-led sustainability certification framework for the built environment. Developed by BRE in 1990, it assesses environmental, social, and resilience performance across buildings, infrastructure, and communities using a credit-based, weighted scoring methodology producing ratings from Pass to Outstanding.

Key Components

Core categories: Management, Health & Wellbeing, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use & Ecology, Pollution, Innovation.
Over 100 credits per scheme, weighted by impact.
Schemes for lifecycle stages (New Construction, In-Use, Infrastructure).
Third-party certification via licensed assessors and BRE audits.

Why Organizations Use It

Drives ESG compliance, asset value uplift (up to 30% premiums), operational savings (22-33% energy), and regulatory alignment (EU Taxonomy). Enhances market differentiation, tenant appeal, and resilience against climate risks.

Implementation Overview

Embed early with assessor appointment; multi-stage process (design, construction, post-occupancy). Applies globally to all sizes; requires evidence submission for BRE QA. Typical for developers, owners, infrastructure projects.

CIS Controls Details

What It Is

CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls) v8.1 is a community-driven, prescriptive cybersecurity framework of prioritized best practices to reduce attack surfaces and enhance resilience. It focuses on actionable safeguards across hybrid/cloud environments, using a risk-based, phased Implementation Groups (IG1–IG3) approach.

Key Components

18 Controls with 153 Safeguards, grouped into IG1 (56 essential hygiene), IG2, IG3.
Core areas: asset inventory, data protection, access management, vulnerability management, incident response.
Built on real-world attack data; maps to NIST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS.
No formal certification; self-assessed compliance via tools like CIS Navigator.

Why Organizations Use It

Mitigates 85% common attacks, cuts breach costs, accelerates compliance.
Builds trust with regulators, insurers, partners; enables efficiency, scalability.
Strategic ROI: operational savings, competitive edge in cyber hygiene.

Implementation Overview

Phased roadmap: governance, discovery, foundational (IG1), expansion (IG2/IG3), validation.
Applies to all sizes/industries; automation-heavy for inventories, patching.
Involves cross-functional teams, KPIs, continuous improvement; no mandatory audits.

Key Differences

Aspect	BREEAM	CIS Controls
Scope	Built environment sustainability across lifecycle	Cybersecurity best practices for IT assets
Industry	Construction, real estate, infrastructure globally	All industries, technology-agnostic worldwide
Nature	Voluntary third-party certification framework	Voluntary prioritized cybersecurity safeguards
Testing	Licensed assessor audits, BRE QA certification	Self-assessments, pen testing, maturity audits
Penalties	Loss of certification, no legal penalties	No penalties, increased breach risk exposure

Scope

BREEAM

Built environment sustainability across lifecycle

CIS Controls

Cybersecurity best practices for IT assets

Industry

BREEAM

Construction, real estate, infrastructure globally

CIS Controls

All industries, technology-agnostic worldwide

Nature

BREEAM

Voluntary third-party certification framework

CIS Controls

Voluntary prioritized cybersecurity safeguards

Testing

BREEAM

Licensed assessor audits, BRE QA certification

CIS Controls

Self-assessments, pen testing, maturity audits

Penalties

BREEAM

Loss of certification, no legal penalties

CIS Controls

No penalties, increased breach risk exposure

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about BREEAM and CIS Controls

BREEAM FAQ

CIS Controls FAQ

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BREEAM

CIS Controls

Quick Verdict

BREEAM

CIS Controls

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

BREEAM Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

CIS Controls Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

BREEAM FAQ

What is the primary objective of BREEAM?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with BREEAM?

Does BREEAM require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for BREEAM be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with BREEAM?

An BREEAM be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing BREEAM?

CIS Controls FAQ

What is the primary objective of CIS Controls?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with CIS Controls?

Does CIS Controls require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for CIS Controls be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with CIS Controls?

An CIS Controls be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing CIS Controls?

You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

NIST CSF 2.0 Plain English Decoder: Translating Govern, Supply Chain, and Core Functions from Jargon to Actionable Insights

CIS Controls v8.1, Operationalized: Top 10 Reasons Compliance Monitoring Software Accelerates Real-World Implementation

Beyond Reactive: Transforming Compliance into Real-Time Threat Prevention

Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

CSA vs ISO 56002

APPI vs FERPA

DORA vs AS9120B