Emissions from products – specialist paints and coatings - KBCN0872
Where a paint or coating falls within:
- A category in Annex II of the EU Directive 2004/42/CE or,
- A category in the relevant product emission table of the technical manual,
then the paint or coating must be assessed.
Specialist paints and coatings are exempted from meeting the VOC content and emission limits where there are no alternative products available that can perform the function, and still meet the emission limits.
This must be clearly evidenced.
30-Oct-2025 Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
02-Oct-2025 Reference to 'VOC content' added and KBCN applied to UKNC V7 and INC V7 to clarify CN2.1
27-Oct-2022 Wording clarified. New compliance principle added from UKNC V6.
10-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
13-Mar-2020 KBCN amended to clarify exceptions and applicability.
16-Jun-2017 Content merged with KBCN0212.
GN22 Recognised schemes for emissions from construction products - KBCN0719
Latest version: v3.1, March 2026
Within the Health and Wellbeing category of several BREEAM schemes, credits are awarded for specifying materials that minimise emissions from building products of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The criteria involve meeting emission level performance requirements in accordance with compliant performance and testing standards.
Guidance Note 22 (GN22) lists schemes that show equivalent or better performance than the current BREEAM and HQM criteria, and therefore can be used to demonstrate compliance with the criteria. This document should be read in conjunction with the relevant assessment issue guidance provided in the appropriate BREEAM or HQM technical manual.
The guidance note contains two tables:
- Table 1 is for use with BREEAM schemes that were first released before December 2015.
- Table 2 is for use with BREEAM (and HQM) schemes that were first released from December 2015 onwards (post-November 2015).
Download Guidance Note 22
View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)
Applying for inclusion in GN22
The list of approved schemes is based on those which have made a successful application to BREEAM. As such, there may be other operational schemes that could potentially be recognised.
To be considered for inclusion, the scheme operator must complete an application form, providing full details of the scheme, and submit this to BRE Global for technical approval. A flat rate charge is payable to cover the costs of administering and reviewing the application. GN22 will be updated following the approval of any schemes via this process.
The application form (BF1648) provides full details of the application process, and licensed BREEAM assessors can request a copy by submitting a technical query using the
webform. Other parties may request a copy by contacting:
breeam@bregroup.com
25-Mar-2026 - Release of GN22 3.1
30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
25-Sep-2025 - Updated to provide details of the approval process and title updated.
30-Jan-2025 - Release of GN22 3.0
30-Sep-2024 - Release of GN22 2.9
01-Feb-2024 - Release of GN22 2.8
31-Jan-2023 - Release of GN22 2.7
10-Oct-2022 - This KBCN merged with KBCN0646. Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.
25-Jan-2019 - Link to Guidance Note updated
12-Mar-2018 - Link to Guidance Note updated
