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 aggregated into 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, investors, and operators of new construction, refurbishments, in-use assets, communities, or infrastructure seeking verified sustainability credentials. Licensed **BREEAM Assessors** and **Advisory Professionals (APs)** are mandatory for certification, with BRE Global conducting quality audits under UKAS **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 manuals and **KBCNs**; BRE performs QA, potentially including site visits, before issuing ratings. This ensures impartiality, with certifications valid for schemes like **In-Use** (3 years).

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

**BREEAM New Construction assessments occur once per project at design, construction, and post-occupancy stages.** **BREEAM In-Use** requires reassessment every **3 years** to maintain certification and drive continuous improvement via **Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE)**.

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), higher operational costs, regulatory planning delays, and reduced ESG credibility for investors.

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

**BREEAM is not explicitly mapped to other frameworks within its core requirements, but Version 7 aligns with EU Taxonomy for disclosures.** Its category structure and evidence rigor support ESG reporting, with global adaptability via International schemes and NSOs in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.

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 ratings, identify credits, and integrate into design and procurement.

What is the primary objective of **ISO 22301**?

**ISO 22301 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS).** Its core purpose is to enable organizations to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and recover from disruptive incidents while ensuring continuity of critical products and services, following a PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle across 10 clauses.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **ISO 22301**?

**ISO 22301 applies to organizations of all sizes and sectors seeking resilience, but is professionally essential in critical sectors like utilities, transport, health, finance, and IT services.** It supports regulatory compliance such as the EU's NIS Directive for essential services, with no universal legal mandate but high adoption driven by risks where 1 in 5 organizations face significant annual disruptions.

Does **ISO 22301** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**ISO 22301 certification requires a two-stage external audit by an accredited body, followed by 3-year validity with annual surveillance audits.** Stage 1 assesses readiness, Stage 2 verifies effectiveness (typically 6-8 weeks total), ensuring auditable evidence from clauses 4-10.

How often should an assessment for **ISO 22301** be performed?

**ISO 22301 mandates annual internal audits and management reviews, plus periodic testing of BCMS elements like BIA and recovery strategies.** Certification involves annual surveillance, with full recertification every 3 years; the standard undergoes systematic review every 5 years, as seen in its 2024 Amendment 1.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **ISO 22301**?

**Non-compliance with ISO 22301 exposes organizations to unmitigated disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties in aligned frameworks like NIS.** Certified entities avoid these via tested BCMS, but lapses risk extended downtime, as evidenced by sectors facing 20% annual disruption rates without robust continuity.

Can **ISO 22301** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, ISO 22301 seamlessly maps to frameworks sharing Annex SL high-level structure, such as ISO 27001 and ISO 31000.** Its PDCA model and clauses align for integrated management systems, with bundles like ISO 22301 + ISO 22313 available at a 10% discount (CHF 298), enhancing holistic resilience.

What is the first step to begin implementing **ISO 22301**?

**The first step in implementing ISO 22301 is conducting a gap analysis against clauses 4-10, starting with Clause 4's understanding of organizational context, interested parties, and BCMS scope.** Secure leadership commitment (Clause 5) via kickoff, followed by BIA and risk assessment to tailor the PDCA cycle.

BREEAM vs ISO 22301

Standards Comparison

BREEAM

Voluntary

1990

Science-led certification framework for built environment sustainability

ISO 22301

Voluntary

2019

International standard for business continuity management systems.

Quick Verdict

BREEAM certifies sustainable buildings for environmental performance, while ISO 22301 builds business continuity resilience against disruptions. Companies adopt BREEAM for ESG value and ratings; ISO 22301 for risk mitigation, compliance, and recovery.

Building Sustainability

BREEAM

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

Cost

€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

Third-party certification via licensed assessors and BRE audits
Weighted credits across 10 core sustainability categories
Lifecycle schemes for new-build, in-use, infrastructure
Continuous updates through Knowledge Base Compliance Notes
Whole-life carbon and resilience emphasis in Version 7

Business Continuity

ISO 22301

ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems

Cost

€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

0-6 months

Key Features

PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
Business Impact Analysis to prioritize functions
Risk assessment and recovery strategies
Leadership commitment and policy requirements
Operational testing and internal audits

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, launched by BRE in 1990. It evaluates performance across buildings, infrastructure, and communities via a category-based, credit-weighted scoring system producing ratings from Pass to Outstanding.

Key Components

10 core categories: Management, Health & Wellbeing, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Land Use & Ecology, Pollution, Innovation
Credits for compliant issues, weighted by impact; scheme-specific manuals and KBCNs for guidance
Lifecycle schemes: New Construction, In-Use, Refurbishment, Infrastructure
**Third-party assurancelicensed assessors submit evidence for BRE Global audits

Why Organizations Use It

Achieves 22-33% energy savings, asset premiums up to 30%, ESG alignment
Meets planning incentives, EU Taxonomy, net-zero ambitions
Reduces risks in regulation, operations, reputation
Provides market differentiation and investor confidence

Implementation Overview

Phased: pre-assessment, design integration, construction verification, post-occupancy
Early assessor/AP involvement essential; evidence-intensive
Global applicability across sizes/industries; BRE certification required

ISO 22301 Details

What It Is

ISO 22301:2019 is the international standard specifying requirements for a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). It enables organizations to protect against, reduce likelihood of, and recover from disruptions using a PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle and risk-based approach.

Key Components

10 clauses aligned with Annex SL; Clauses 4-10 core: context, leadership, planning (BIA, risk assessment), support, operation, evaluation, improvement
Flexible, non-prescriptive requirements tailored to context
Emphasizes Business Impact Analysis (BIA), Recovery Time Objectives (RTO), testing
Certification: 3-year validity with annual audits

Why Organizations Use It

Builds resilience, cuts downtime/financial losses (e.g., 20% disruption rate)
Ensures compliance (NIS, NIST); boosts trust/reputation
Competitive edges: lower insurance, procurement wins
Integrates with ISO 27001, ISO 31000

Implementation Overview

Phased: gap analysis, BIA, strategies, training, testing, audits
All sizes/sectors; 60 days possible with tools
Two-stage certification (6-8 weeks)

Key Differences

Aspect	BREEAM	ISO 22301
Scope	Sustainability in built environment (energy, health, ecology)	Business continuity management (disruptions, recovery)
Industry	Construction, real estate, infrastructure worldwide	All sectors, global (finance, healthcare, utilities)
Nature	Voluntary third-party certification scheme	Voluntary international BCMS standard
Testing	Assessor-led audits, evidence review, certification	BIA, exercises, internal audits, 3-year certification
Penalties	Loss of certification, no legal penalties	No legal penalties, loss of certification

Scope

BREEAM

Sustainability in built environment (energy, health, ecology)

ISO 22301

Business continuity management (disruptions, recovery)

Industry

BREEAM

Construction, real estate, infrastructure worldwide

ISO 22301

All sectors, global (finance, healthcare, utilities)

Nature

BREEAM

Voluntary third-party certification scheme

ISO 22301

Voluntary international BCMS standard

Testing

BREEAM

Assessor-led audits, evidence review, certification

ISO 22301

BIA, exercises, internal audits, 3-year certification

Penalties

BREEAM

Loss of certification, no legal penalties

ISO 22301

No legal penalties, loss of certification

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about BREEAM and ISO 22301

BREEAM FAQ

ISO 22301 FAQ

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BREEAM

ISO 22301

Quick Verdict

BREEAM

Key Features

ISO 22301

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

BREEAM Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

ISO 22301 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?

Can BREEAM be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing BREEAM?

ISO 22301 FAQ

What is the primary objective of ISO 22301?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 22301?

Does ISO 22301 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for ISO 22301 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 22301?

Can ISO 22301 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 22301?

You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

From Data Fragments to Strategic Insight: Powering Intelligent Risk Management with Integrated Compliance Monitoring

5 Ways Modern Compliance Software Makes Evolving Regulations Your Strategic Advantage

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Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

FSSC 22000 vs ISO 41001

GMP vs WELL

GDPR vs PIPEDA