MAT 02 - Responsible Sourcing of Materials

Building elements’ Materials - KBCN0190

For each element, only the materials that make up a significant majority of the building element (up to 80%) need to be responsibly sourced. Any material which comprise the remaining 20% can be included at the discretion of the assessor if it contributes to achieving more points. It should be noted that including additional elements from a lower tier level may reduce the number of points scored. Criterion 2.b To achieve points for any given building elements, at least 80% of the materials that make-up that element must be responsibly sourced i.e. classified in tier 1-7.

Design stage evidence – Responsible sourcing of construction products assessment - KBCN0831

At design stage, a letter of commitment from the design team confirming that the products shall be procured from suppliers capable of supplying products covered by the required responsible sourcing certification scheme is acceptable. The letter must confirm the responsible sourcing certification schemes of the proposed products.

Evidence requirements – responsible sourcing of materials at post-construction - KBCN1599

Whilst the UK BREEAM manuals are less prescriptive in the evidential requirements to allow flexibility, to ensure consistency across the schemes, it is expected that robust evidence should be provided to verify the source of any certified materials and how the assessor has confirmed the products and manufacturers used. Evidence supplied at post construction stage must reflect the completed building and confirm the responsibly sourced materials that have been procured and installed on the project. Supporting documentation is required to validate letters of confirmation or schedules of materials. Evidence provided could include proof of purchase, for example, invoices, delivery tickets, purchase orders or correspondence from suppliers. This may be an example for each material sourced, rather than every delivery ticket for instance. Alternatively, evidence of the use of the responsibly sourced materials may include as-built drawings, O&M documentation or site photographs.

FSC and PEFC Mixed Sources certified timber - KBCN00091

Products labelled:

FSC Mix or
PEFC Mixed Sources

Meet the BREEAM responsible sourcing requirements. This means any such products:

In HQM, and in BREEAM NC 2016 or older schemes: meet the prerequisite for legally harvested and traded timber.
In BREEAM NC 2018 or newer schemes: meet the prerequisite for legal and sustainable timber.
In all schemes: can be used to demonstrate responsible sourcing.

Products carrying the FSC Mix label contain at least 70% FSC certified and recycled material. These products may contain a small proportion of FSC Controlled Wood (KBCN00054). However for BREEAM compliance, the FSC Mix label is sufficient to meet our requirements.

14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

FSC Controlled Wood - KBCN00054

The FSC Controlled Wood label minimises the risk that wood comes from illegal or controversial sources, however it does not eliminate this risk. Therefore, products which are:

Labelled as FSC Controlled Wood or,
Where the majority of material in a product is comprised of FSC Controlled Wood,

Do not meet the BREEAM definition of responsibly sourced. Where FSC Mix labelled products contain FSC Controlled Wood, see KBCN00091. This means that any such products:

In HQM, and in BREEAM NC 2016 or older schemes: do not meet the prerequisite for legally harvested and traded timber.
In BREEAM NC 2018 or newer schemes: do not meet the prerequisite for legal and sustainable timber.
In all schemes: cannot be used to demonstrate responsible sourcing.

14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

GN18 BREEAM Recognised Responsible Sourcing Certification Schemes and BREEAM Scheme Applicability - KBCN0723

Latest version: v3.7, May 2023 BREEAM awards credits for responsibly sourcing construction products (typically under the Mat 03 issue) to encourage responsible product specification and procurement in construction. To achieve these credits, applicable specified products (as listed in the relevant technical manual) must be covered by an Environmental Management System (EMS) or a responsible sourcing certification scheme (RSCS) recognised by BREEAM. Guidance Note 18 lists the responsible sourcing certifications schemes recognised by BREEAM along with the relevant summary scores to be used in BREEAM assessments. Download Guidance Note 18 Download Guidance Note 18 v2.0 (licensed assessors only - optional for projects registered prior to release of v3.0 in September 2016) View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)

GN24 Demonstrating compliance with Mat 03 in BREEAM - KBCN0721

Latest version: v1.1, May 2022 Guidance Note 24 provides additional guidance to assessors and specifiers on demonstrating compliance with the criteria set out in Mat 03. It should be read in conjunction with the Technical Manual for the relevant assessment scheme. It covers:

How to deal with constituent products/materials including those with certification that is different from the overall product.
The precision required in estimating quantities:
- For the cut-off volume
- Of products/materials in the building (route 2 only)
- Of different material categories in products/materials.
An example route 2 calculation.
‘Broken chain’ situations.
How to treat building services.

Download Guidance Note 24 (licensed assessors only) View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)

Raised access floors - KBCN00018

For the purposes of Mat 03, raised access floors should be considered as part of the floor structure. HQM - Applies to HQM's Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products assessment issue.

Responsible sourcing certification – validity - KBCN1693

Where it can be demonstrated that the responsible sourcing certificates were valid either at the time of specification, or at the time of purchase, they may contribute to the awarding of the credits. BREEAM is primarily trying to encourage designers to take responsible sourcing into consideration when specifying or selecting products and as such it is not necessary for certification to be valid at the time of design or post-construction stage submissions.

Scope of ‘Building services’ location/use category - KBCN000001

'Building services' refers to the equipment and distribution systems specified for providing heating, power, ventilation, lighting, air-conditioning and domestic water services in a building. As a minimum, this location/use category should include the equipment and controls specified for the building services. Refer to Guidance Note GN24: Demonstrating Compliance with BREEAM Issue Mat 03 issue for more information.

18/10/2018  Applicability to UK NC2018 removed; relevant guidance is included in the technical manual.

Setting of Responsible Sourcing Certification Scores (RSCS) - KBCN00017

Mat 03 credits require the majority of the materials used to be sourced with a high RSCS score. While maximum points (10) are available for reused materials the points available for RSCS's are typically less than 10. The available points are representative of the relative merits of each source while also providing some incentive for each scheme to improve and gain higher scores in the future. The latest points scores for each RSCS route are available in the latest version of GN18.

Domestic Refurbishment / 2014 / 05 - Materials /