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

**BREEAM's primary objective is to provide a science-based sustainability assessment and certification framework for the built environment.** Developed by BRE in 1990, it evaluates performance across categories like **Management**, **Health & Wellbeing**, **Energy**, **Transport**, **Water**, **Materials**, **Waste**, **Land Use & Ecology**, **Pollution**, and **Innovation**. Credits are weighted and scored to deliver ratings from **Pass (≥30%)** to **Outstanding (≥85%)**, enabling verified 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, planning incentives, or alignment with investor demands. **National Scheme Operators** in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden adapt it locally; others use international versions.

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

**Yes, BREEAM requires third-party certification via licensed BREEAM Assessors and BRE Global quality audits.** Assessors compile evidence against scheme manuals and submit for BRE review, including potential site visits. BRE, accredited to **ISO/IEC 17065**, issues ratings post-QA, ensuring impartiality. **Knowledge Base Compliance Notes (KBCNs)** guide evidence like ISO/IEC 17025 testing for emissions.

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

**BREEAM New Construction assessments occur once per project at design, construction, and post-occupancy stages.** For **BREEAM In-Use**, certifications are valid for **3 years**, requiring reassessment for renewal to verify ongoing performance. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) supports continuous improvement, with **Version 7** emphasizing operational energy modelling.

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 missed market premiums (up to 25-30% rental uplifts), lost ESG reporting credibility, planning delays, higher financing costs, and operational inefficiencies like elevated energy use (vs. 22-33% savings for certified assets).

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

**BREEAM is not explicitly mapped to other frameworks in its core requirements, functioning as a standalone certification.** **Version 7** aligns with **EU Taxonomy** for whole-life carbon, biodiversity, and resilience. Its category structure and ratings support ESG disclosures, but scheme manuals and KBCNs define independent criteria without formal equivalency tables.

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 version, then appoint a licensed BREEAM Assessor early.** Conduct a pre-assessment for credit targeting, aligned to project type and rating ambition (e.g., Excellent ≥70%). Register with BRE and monitor **KBCNs** for updates.

What is the primary objective of **ISO 19600**?

**ISO 19600 provides guidelines for establishing, developing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving an effective Compliance Management System (CMS).** Published in 2014 as a Type B guidance standard, it promotes a risk-based approach grounded in principles of **good governance**, **proportionality**, **transparency**, and **sustainability**. Applicable to all organization sizes and sectors, it follows a **10-clause Annex SL structure** (context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement) and integrates with existing management systems via **PDCA cycles**, enabling systematic management of statutory, regulatory, contractual, and voluntary obligations.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **ISO 19600**?

**No organization is legally required to comply with ISO 19600, as it is non-certifiable guidance rather than mandatory requirements.** It applies voluntarily to any entity—public, private, non-profit, SME, or multinational—facing compliance obligations, particularly in sectors like financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and public sector where structured CMS demonstrates governance to regulators, partners, and stakeholders. Professionals such as **Chief Compliance Officers (CCOs)** and boards use it for benchmarking and risk mitigation.

Does **ISO 19600** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**No, ISO 19600 does not require external audits or third-party certification, being a Type B guidance standard without mandatory "shall" requirements.** Organizations conduct **internal audits** per Clause 9.2 (aligned with ISO 19011) and **management reviews** (Clause 9.3) for self-assessment. It supports voluntary benchmarking to demonstrate CMS alignment to regulators or customers, unlike its successor ISO 37301.

How often should an assessment for **ISO 19600** be performed?

**ISO 19600 recommends ongoing, risk-based assessments rather than fixed intervals, with reassessments triggered by changes in context, obligations, or issues (Clauses 4.6, 9.1).** **Internal audits** occur at **planned intervals** (Clause 9.2), **management reviews** are periodic (e.g., quarterly, Clause 9.3), and **compliance risk evaluations** update dynamically via monitoring plans, horizon scanning, and PDCA cycles to ensure CMS suitability and effectiveness.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **ISO 19600**?

**There are no direct consequences for non-compliance with ISO 19600 itself, as it imposes no legal penalties being voluntary guidance.** Indirect risks include heightened exposure to regulatory fines, operational disruptions, reputational damage, and governance failures from inadequate CMS, such as unaddressed compliance risks (Clause 4.6) leading to incidents, as seen in cases like fines for weak anti-bribery controls.

An **ISO 19600** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, ISO 19600's Annex SL structure and PDCA model enable seamless mapping to other management system frameworks.** Its 10 clauses align with high-level structures in standards like ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment), allowing integrated CMS via shared processes, risk registers, and documentation, reducing duplication while preserving compliance independence (Clause 4.4).

What is the first step to begin implementing **ISO 19600**?

**The first step is securing leadership commitment and establishing CMS scope via a Compliance Steering Committee (Clauses 4.3, 5.1).** Top management endorses a commitment charter, appoints oversight (e.g., CCO), and defines scope considering internal/external context and obligations (Clause 4), enabling proportional, risk-based rollout.

BREEAM vs ISO 19600

Standards Comparison

BREEAM

Voluntary

1990

Global sustainability certification for built environment assets

ISO 19600

Voluntary

2014

International guidelines for compliance management systems.

Quick Verdict

BREEAM certifies sustainable buildings via category-weighted credits and audits, while ISO 19600 guides compliance systems through risk-based CMS. Companies adopt BREEAM for ESG value uplift; ISO 19600 for governance and risk management.

Building Sustainability

BREEAM

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

Cost

€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

Third-party audited certification by BRE Global
Weighted category credits yielding Pass-Outstanding ratings
Lifecycle schemes covering new to in-use assets
Evidence-driven with technical manuals and KBCNs
Globally adaptable via national scheme operators

Compliance Management

ISO 19600

ISO 19600:2014 Compliance management systems — Guidelines

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Risk-based compliance obligations identification
Good governance principles for CMS
Annex SL structure for integration
Proportionality and scalability for all sizes
PDCA cycle for continual improvement

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, health, and resilience performance across buildings, infrastructure, and communities. Its credit-based, weighted scoring methodology converts compliance into ratings from Pass to Outstanding.

Key Components

10 core categories: Management, Health & Wellbeing, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use & Ecology, Pollution, Innovation.
Credits awarded via evidence against technical manuals and KBCNs.
Schemes for lifecycle stages: New Construction, In-Use, Refurbishment.
Third-party certification by licensed assessors and BRE audits.

Why Organizations Use It

Drives operational savings (e.g., 22-33% energy reduction), asset value uplift (up to 30% premiums), and ESG credibility. Aligns with EU Taxonomy and net zero; mitigates regulatory risks; enhances tenant appeal and resilience.

Implementation Overview

Phased approach: early assessor appointment, credit targeting, evidence gathering. Applies to all sizes/industries globally; requires BRE-registered assessors for certification.

ISO 19600 Details

What It Is

ISO 19600:2014 — Compliance management systems — Guidelines is a Type B guidance standard from the International Organization for Standardization. It provides recommendations for establishing, developing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving a Compliance Management System (CMS). Applicable to all organizations, it employs a risk-based, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach aligned with Annex SL structure for integration with other standards.

Key Components

10 clauses mirroring high-level structure: context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement.
Core principles: good governance, proportionality, transparency, sustainability.
Focuses on compliance obligations identification, risk assessment, controls, training, monitoring.
Non-certifiable; used for internal benchmarking.

Why Organizations Use It

Mitigates legal, operational, reputational risks; reduces penalties.
Enhances efficiency, decision-making, market access via structured CMS.
Builds culture of integrity, stakeholder trust; differentiates competitively.
Prepares for ISO 37301 transition.

Implementation Overview

Phased roadmap: leadership commitment, gap analysis, design, deployment, continuous improvement.
Scalable for SMEs to multinationals, all sectors/geographies.
Involves policy development, risk registers, training, audits; no formal certification.

Key Differences

Aspect	BREEAM	ISO 19600
Scope	Built environment sustainability across lifecycle	Compliance management systems for obligations
Industry	Construction, real estate, infrastructure globally	All sectors and organization types worldwide
Nature	Voluntary third-party certification schemes	Non-certifiable guidelines (withdrawn for ISO 37301)
Testing	Licensed assessor audits and BRE QA	Internal audits and management reviews
Penalties	Loss of certification and rating	No formal penalties (guidance only)

Scope

BREEAM

Built environment sustainability across lifecycle

ISO 19600

Compliance management systems for obligations

Industry

BREEAM

Construction, real estate, infrastructure globally

ISO 19600

All sectors and organization types worldwide

Nature

BREEAM

Voluntary third-party certification schemes

ISO 19600

Non-certifiable guidelines (withdrawn for ISO 37301)

Testing

BREEAM

Licensed assessor audits and BRE QA

ISO 19600

Internal audits and management reviews

Penalties

BREEAM

Loss of certification and rating

ISO 19600

No formal penalties (guidance only)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about BREEAM and ISO 19600

BREEAM FAQ

ISO 19600 FAQ

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BREEAM

ISO 19600

Quick Verdict

BREEAM

Key Features

ISO 19600

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

BREEAM Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

ISO 19600 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?

ISO 19600 FAQ

What is the primary objective of ISO 19600?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 19600?

Does ISO 19600 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for ISO 19600 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 19600?

An ISO 19600 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 19600?

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