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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

building regulations. For building owners of fossil fuels. These must also be reviewed higher market value than one with a lower
this means their assets are better at different stages of the project. sustainability rating, or no rating at all. It
protected against climate change and the Water and air quality and biodiversity also means that the building elements will
asset value of their buildings is increased are also key elements of the assessment. last longer, will be easier to maintain and
through having a BREEAM rating. Before Version 7 the designer would gain repair, more energy-efficient and will have
Instead of prioritising operational carbon, credits by meeting the UK Biodiversity Net a lower cost of maintenance. With current
BREEAM now requires designers to look at Gain legislation (BNG), but now credits trends such as designing for disassembly
the whole carbon life cycle of the building. are only given if the project exceeds the the residual value of the building at the end
This is a significantly broader and longer- limits of the scheme. BNG ensures that of its life will be higher because many of
term approach than before and includes habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably the materials and components can be sold
the environmental impact of extraction better state than they were before the for reuse or recycling, thereby reducing and
and processing of raw materials, energy development and it is now a standard part offsetting disposal costs.
used for manufacturing and transport, of the town and country planning act. It goes without saying manufacturers
the amount of carbon embodied in the The ideal is to provide buildings that will need to offer the most sustainable
materials themselves, the lifespan of the enhance the environment and make it products, but they will also need to provide
product and the environmental impact of better, rather than the original approach of a high standard of technical support
maintenance, repair, demolition, recycling accepting that buildings will be damaging including documentation and independent
and disposal. and limiting as far as possible the extent certification to the required standards.
They assess the lifecycle impact of that damage. Using a timber floor that It’s not unusual also for manufacturers to
of the project at three critical stages: has a sustainability certificate such as need to provide evidence of their corporate
concept design, technical design, and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC social responsibility and anti-slavery
post construction. From our perspective (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest policies, and evidence that they support
in the flooring industry this could mean Certification) means the forests where the the communities where they are based
designers favouring solid timber floors, timber was grown are properly managed and where they work. The same applies to
from sustainably managed sources. As it and water and air quality and biodiversity contractors.
grows the tree collects carbon from the are protected. Contractors will also need to provide
atmosphere, locking it away so it cannot Human health and comfort are given ‘as built’ evidence that they have installed
increase global warming. higher priority than before and again a solid the products correctly and they’ll be part
Compared with other building materials timber floor can be a good option due to of regular checks that ensure carbon and
this is a rare and significant benefit. When its low levels of VOCs and tendency not to energy targets are being met as the project
made into a solid wood floor its long life harbour dust and mites. proceeds. They’ll also need to show their
span means the carbon is ‘locked up’ for Compared with the previous version, site practices are sustainable in terms of
many years and when it is disposed of the BREEAM v7 will require designers to their choice of plant, energy use and how
nett effect upon global warming is minimal engage with sustainability consultants they deal with waste and recycling.
to zero. at an earlier stage than before. They’ll In their new Version 7, BREEAM has
In order to achieve ‘Excellent’ or also need to carry out assessment and created a scheme that demands close
‘Outstanding’ BREEAM ratings the building modelling at an earlier stage and more collaboration between design and
needs to meet recognised embodied frequently than before. construction teams and to make clients
carbon benchmarks. Clients are invited For clients the up-front costs will be think about creating buildings that
to adopt existing industry-recognised higher because of the need to engage enhance the environment rather than
benchmarks and to demonstrate that consultants in the early stages of the merely settling for damage- limitation. An
the project complies. In addition, the project. It may mean also that the ambitious move perhaps, but a reflection
designer must create models for energy materials, products and processes of where the construction industry, and
consumption and carbon emissions from specified by the designer will be more therefore the flooring industry is going. 
the early stages of the process and show expensive. However, the upside of this Richard Aylen is technical manager,
to what extent they’re eliminating the use is that the finished building will have a Junckers

30 CFJ April 2026 www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk
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