1.1 Applicability of this Guidance Note to the BREEAM Family of Schemes (BREEAM, CEEQUAL, HQM)
This guidance note is applicable for BREEAM, CEEQUAL and HQM schemes used in the UK which opened for registrations from 2018 onwards.
The relevance of this document to a project undergoing an assessment under any of these schemes is dependent on the version of the scheme being used. Reference should be made to the scheme Technical manual to determine this. Where there is no reference to this document, the method set out here is not relevant and cannot be used to demonstrate compliance with the assessment criteria in those versions of those
schemes.
Where the term Assessor is used in this document this refers to the BREEAM, CEEQUAL or HQM Assessor as appropriate.
1.2 Purpose and Scope of this Guidance Note
This guidance note sets out the calculation methodology and process used within the above schemes for the purpose of calculating a ‘change in ecological value’ resulting from the project being assessed. It forms
a part of the technical manual for these schemes and as such the methodology and process described forms an integral part of these scheme requirements. There are four core assessment issues which relate
to ecology:
• Identifying and understanding the risk and opportunities for the project
• Managing negative impacts on ecology
• Change and enhancement of ecological value
• Long term ecology management and maintenance
The methodology and process set out in this document must be carried out by a Suitably Qualified Ecologist (see the ‘Identifying and understanding the risks and opportunities for the project’ assessment issue for the definition of a Suitably Qualified Ecologist). It is used to calculate the change in ecological value resulting from a project for the purposes of the Assessment.
This methodology is directly relevant for calculating change in ecological value and therefore is an integral part of the ‘Change and Enhancement of Ecological Value’ assessment issue. However it is also relevant for other issues and appropriate stages must be considered as part of the ‘Identifying and understanding the risks and opportunities for the project’ assessment issue.
The considerations and outputs generated from the methodology set out in this guidance note will also inform the assessment and achievement of the following issues or their equivalents:
• Managing negative impacts on ecology
• Long term ecology management and maintenance
See the relevant assessment issue in the appropriate technical manual. The outputs of this calculation are used by the Assessor to determine the reward (e.g. credits/points) available for the ‘Change and Enhancement
of Ecological Value’. It forms part of the assessment route 2 in ecology related assessment issues.
This route is defined as follows:
1.3 Route 2: For Sites Where Complex Ecological Systems are Likely to be Present
This is the more comprehensive route of assessment and as such can achieve a higher level of reward than Route 1 (See GN 34: BREEAM CEEQUAL and HQM Ecology Risk Evaluation Checklist for a definition
of Route 1 and details of when it can be applied). Route 2 results in a higher potential overall reward and as such is better able to provide recognition for project teams’ actions and project outcomes under an
Assessment.
The methodology outlined in this document does not apply to assessments being assessed under Route 1.
View full guidance note (publicly available on breeam.com)
GN36 Appendix C (publicly available on breeam.com)
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GN36 Appendix C (licensed assessors only)
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