About
BREEAM-NOR (the Norwegian adaptation of BREEAM) is owned by the Norwegian Green Building Council. BREEAM-NOR has an established system of licensed BREEAM-NOR assessors whose role is to register, document and verify compliance with the requirements under the BREEAM-NOR manuals.
A building can be certified with one of five different ratings under the BREEAM-NOR standards:
- Acceptable (only applies to BREEAM-NOR In-Use)
- Pass
- Good
- Very Good
- Excellent
- Outstanding
The certification for new buldings and major refurbishments is based on a points system, with points being awarded for attainment of targets in the categories of (i) management; (ii) health and wellbeing; (iii) energy; (iv) transport; (v) water; (vi) materials; (vii) waste; (viii) land use and ecology; and (ix) pollution.
The classification involves assessing the building/project on the basis of target attainment for the environmental impact criteria in each category, with points being awarded for each benchmark documented to have been reached in accordance with the requirements under the BREEAM-NOR standard.
BREEAM-NOR In-Use was launched on 8 April 2025 and is used for the measurement, improvement and documentation of environmental and health qualities in existing buildings. Two separate certifications are available for existing buildings: One for the performance of the building itself and another for the operation and management of the building.
Further, BREEAM Infrastructure (previously CEEQUAL), can be used to verify sustainability qualities inn all types of infrastructure and construction projects, such as roads, railways, bridges, landscape architecture and parks. An updated guide on how to use BREEAM Infrastructure was published by the Norwegian Green Building Council in 2023.
Who does it impact?
Contractors, owners, consultants, advisors, architects, banks, government bodies, tenants etc. A certified building has an impact on everyone involved with that property.
Status: Launched
The current BREEAM-NOR manual for new buildings and major refurbishments, BREEAM-NOR v.6.1.1, was published 10 December 2024. It is a revision of the previous version BREEAM-NOR v6.1, which was published 21 November 2023 and BREEAM-NOR v6.0, which was published 28 February 2022.
The current BREEAM-NOR In-Use manual, BREEAM-NOR In-Use v6.0, was launched on 8 april 2025.
Relation to other initiatives and regulations
BREEAM-NOR integrates the EU classification system (taxonomy) for definitions of which activities are sustainable for investment purposes for the first environmental objective of the Taxonomy (climate change mitigation).
Participants
There are currently over 400 BREEAM-NOR-certified buildings in Norway. A complete list is available here.
Thommessen's comments
BREEAM-NOR is a market-driven and voluntary certification scheme that is extensively used in the Norwegian market.
It is our experience that BREEAM-NOR is becoming increasingly prominent in property development projects, property transactions and lease negotiations as a benchmark for quality level and the sustainability ambition of the parties involved. Property owners may typically be met with a requirement/request for BREEAM-NOR certification from both funding sources and lessees, and we observe that such certification may influence loan terms and rent levels.
There is extensive research on the use and significance of various classification systems, including BREEAM. International studies show that certified buildings will normally have, inter alia, higher market value, higher rent revenues, lower operating costs and reduced financial risk.
BREEAM-NOR v6.1.1 was launched on 10 December 2024 represents a revision of the latest and existing manuals, BREEAM-NOR v6.1 and v6.0.
BREEAM-NOR v6.0 integrated the technical screening criteria for the first environmental objective of the Taxonomy (climate change mitigation). This means that new buildings and major refurbishment projects that meet the minimum requirements for the "Excellent" rating level under BREEAM-NOR v6.0 will also meet the technical screening criteria for the first environmental objective of the Taxonomy. However, the manual can also be used to demonstrate compliance with the Taxonomy requirements regardless of rating (with some adjustments following national clarifications in 2023).
In BREEAM-NOR v6.1 some of the technical requirements in v6.0 have been clarified and/or changed, to more precisely align with the Taxonomy. The changes in the v6.1 affect the calculation/achievement of points compared to the v6.0 manual. An ongoing project that is registered under v6.0 can therefore not be certified under v6.1. Projects that are already registered under v6.0 must obtain their certification in accordance with v6.0 within 21 November 2028, if not, the project must be revised and reregistered under v6.1 in order to obtain the certification.
In BREEAM-NOR v6.1.1 several structural changes have been made to the manual, amongst other to eliminate confusion regarding which criteria must be met and how these can be achieved, as opposed to information that is intended as guidance. All guidance materials have been moved to the bottom of each section under "Additional Information". Furthermore, some technical requirements have been specified and clarified. The changes in v6.1.1 do not affect the calculation of points, so projects registered under v6.1 will be automatically transitioned to v6.1.1.
BREEAM-NOR In-Use v6.0 was officially launched on 8 April 2025. Under the BREEAM In-Use manual, two separate certifications are available: One for the performance of the building itself and another for the operation and management of the building. Applicants have the option to register for either one or both of these certifications. Prior to the launch of BREEAM-NOR In-Use v6.0, the only available In-Use manual was the international version, which was not tailored to Norwegian practices and market conditions. The newly introduced BREEAM-NOR In-Use manual has been specifically adapted for use in Norway and is harmonized with the BREEAM-NOR standards for new buildings and refurbishments (v6.1.1). The international version of BREEAM In-Use will no longer be available in Norway from 1 January 2026.