Guides

Meeting BREEAM's climate risk requirements

BREEAM now treats physical risk as a structured, evidence-based requirement, not a checkbox. Yet many teams struggle to know exactly what assessors expect, and where credible climate data should come from.

In this guide, we break down BREEAM's physical risk methodology stage by stage, showing how to turn a certification requirement into evidence that also protects asset value, insurability, and investor confidence.

Inside this guide you'll learn:

  • What BREEAM requires on physical risk, credit by credit
  • How to match climate scenarios and time horizons to an asset's actual lifespan
  • Why physical risk evidence matters beyond the certificate itself
  • How EarthScan by Mitiga Solutions generates BREEAM-ready physical risk data in minutes

Download your free copy now and get a clear, stage-by-stage view of what BREEAM's physical risk requirements mean for your next submission.

FAQs

‍What is BREEAM and why does it matter for real estate?
BREEAM is a sustainability assessment and certification scheme for buildings, launched in 1990 and now used in 89 countries. It is widely used by investors, lenders, and tenants as a reference point for how well an asset has been designed, built, or operated against sustainability and resilience criteria, including physical risk.‍

Which BREEAM credits specifically cover physical climate risk?
Climate-related physical risk appears mainly under Wst 05 (Adaptation to Climate Change) in BREEAM New Construction schemes, and under Rsl 01 (Flood Risk Assessment) and Rsl 03 (Natural Hazard Risk Assessment) in BREEAM In-Use. All three ask for a structured, evidence-based risk assessment rather than a general statement of intent.

What is a climate change adaptation strategy appraisal for BREEAM Wst 05?
It's the specific evidence BREEAM assessors require to award the Wst 05 credit, and it must be completed by the end of Concept Design (RIBA Stage 2). The appraisal works through a structured process: hazards are identified, their likely impact on the building over its projected lifecycle is assessed, the resulting risk is estimated and evaluated, and management measures are set out to address it. Assessors expect this as a documented, evidence-based exercise rather than a short design statement — which is exactly where credible, asset-level climate data becomes the difference between a compliant submission and a rejected one.

Does BREEAM require a specific climate scenario or time horizon?
BREEAM does not mandate one single scenario, but exemplary credits are generally available where a Medium or High Emissions Scenario from a recognised climate model has been used, covering a reasonable time horizon such as the 2050s and beyond. EarthScan's scenario range, from Paris-aligned to business-as-usual, and its data through to 2100, is designed to match this expectation.

Can EarthScan data be reused for other reporting frameworks alongside BREEAM?
Yes. The same asset-level hazard and rating data that supports a BREEAM submission can feed into EarthScan Disclose for ESRS E1 (CSRD) or IFRS S2 (TCFD-aligned) reporting, so a project does not need to run a separate assessment for each framework.

Is a BREEAM physical risk assessment only relevant for new buildings?
No. BREEAM In-Use applies the same logic to existing assets through credits such as Rsl 01 and Rsl 03, which makes ongoing physical risk monitoring relevant across the full asset lifecycle, not only at Concept Design stage.

Is climate risk the only thing BREEAM measures?
No. BREEAM covers ten performance categories in total, including management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, pollution, and innovation. Climate resilience and adaptation criteria sit within this wider structure, alongside more familiar categories such as energy efficiency.

Ready to see what BREEAM expects from your portfolio? Download the guide.

  • Error message label
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Book a demo
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Guides

Meeting BREEAM's climate risk requirements

September 8, 2026

BREEAM now treats physical risk as a structured, evidence-based requirement, not a checkbox. Yet many teams struggle to know exactly what assessors expect, and where credible climate data should come from.

In this guide, we break down BREEAM's physical risk methodology stage by stage, showing how to turn a certification requirement into evidence that also protects asset value, insurability, and investor confidence.

Inside this guide you'll learn:

  • What BREEAM requires on physical risk, credit by credit
  • How to match climate scenarios and time horizons to an asset's actual lifespan
  • Why physical risk evidence matters beyond the certificate itself
  • How EarthScan by Mitiga Solutions generates BREEAM-ready physical risk data in minutes

Download your free copy now and get a clear, stage-by-stage view of what BREEAM's physical risk requirements mean for your next submission.

FAQs

‍What is BREEAM and why does it matter for real estate?
BREEAM is a sustainability assessment and certification scheme for buildings, launched in 1990 and now used in 89 countries. It is widely used by investors, lenders, and tenants as a reference point for how well an asset has been designed, built, or operated against sustainability and resilience criteria, including physical risk.‍

Which BREEAM credits specifically cover physical climate risk?
Climate-related physical risk appears mainly under Wst 05 (Adaptation to Climate Change) in BREEAM New Construction schemes, and under Rsl 01 (Flood Risk Assessment) and Rsl 03 (Natural Hazard Risk Assessment) in BREEAM In-Use. All three ask for a structured, evidence-based risk assessment rather than a general statement of intent.

What is a climate change adaptation strategy appraisal for BREEAM Wst 05?
It's the specific evidence BREEAM assessors require to award the Wst 05 credit, and it must be completed by the end of Concept Design (RIBA Stage 2). The appraisal works through a structured process: hazards are identified, their likely impact on the building over its projected lifecycle is assessed, the resulting risk is estimated and evaluated, and management measures are set out to address it. Assessors expect this as a documented, evidence-based exercise rather than a short design statement — which is exactly where credible, asset-level climate data becomes the difference between a compliant submission and a rejected one.

Does BREEAM require a specific climate scenario or time horizon?
BREEAM does not mandate one single scenario, but exemplary credits are generally available where a Medium or High Emissions Scenario from a recognised climate model has been used, covering a reasonable time horizon such as the 2050s and beyond. EarthScan's scenario range, from Paris-aligned to business-as-usual, and its data through to 2100, is designed to match this expectation.

Can EarthScan data be reused for other reporting frameworks alongside BREEAM?
Yes. The same asset-level hazard and rating data that supports a BREEAM submission can feed into EarthScan Disclose for ESRS E1 (CSRD) or IFRS S2 (TCFD-aligned) reporting, so a project does not need to run a separate assessment for each framework.

Is a BREEAM physical risk assessment only relevant for new buildings?
No. BREEAM In-Use applies the same logic to existing assets through credits such as Rsl 01 and Rsl 03, which makes ongoing physical risk monitoring relevant across the full asset lifecycle, not only at Concept Design stage.

Is climate risk the only thing BREEAM measures?
No. BREEAM covers ten performance categories in total, including management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, pollution, and innovation. Climate resilience and adaptation criteria sit within this wider structure, alongside more familiar categories such as energy efficiency.

Ready to see what BREEAM expects from your portfolio? Download the guide.