BRE launches international collaboration on how rating systems reward responsible timber

BRE has announced a 12-month collaboration with Built by Nature and the organisations behind the LEED, Green Star and DGNB rating systems to examine how green building certifications recognise and reward responsible timber construction.

The collaboration was announced on 9 November 2026 at COP31, which Built by Nature has said is being held in Antalya, Türkiye. BRE said it would examine how the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction are already recognised in BREEAM, DGNB, EDGE, Green Star and LEED.

Alongside BRE and Built by Nature, the participants named by BRE are the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB), together with other rating system organisations.

Tom Wilson, Director of BREEAM at BRE, said: "Timber and other sustainable materials have an important role to play in reducing the environmental impact of construction, but it is essential that their use is supported by robust standards for responsible sourcing and sustainability."

The white paper

BRE said the first output would be a white paper setting out how the leading rating systems currently address responsible timber and other biobased materials. It will map existing requirements, credits and performance benchmarks covering embodied carbon, carbon storage, responsible sourcing, circularity, durability and whole-life performance.

Once that research phase is complete, BRE said, the partners will identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen the recognition of responsible timber construction. That could include recommendations for rating system organisations to consider and test improvements with project teams and, where relevant, with manufacturers and suppliers.

Jorge Chapa, Chief Impact Officer at the Green Building Council of Australia, said: "Working together, Green Star, BREEAM and LEED can make biobased materials an easier choice for project teams everywhere."

Paul King, Chief Executive of Built by Nature, said rating systems shape decisions made every day by investors, developers, asset owners and project teams around the world.

The Principles

The Principles for Responsible Timber Construction were developed by Built by Nature, which describes them as a common language and global framework for managing increased demand for wood. According to Built by Nature, they were drawn up over 2024/25 with input from governments in the Forest & Climate Leaders' Partnership.

There are five Principles, the first of which is extending the life of existing buildings. Built by Nature has also published an Implementation Framework that it says translates the five Principles into practical strategies, actions and resources.

The number of backers is described differently by the two organisations. BRE's announcement says the Principles are supported by nearly 400 endorsers, a figure Built by Nature also used in August 2026 when it said nearly 400 organisations and governments had endorsed them. Built by Nature's Principles page gives a headline of 15 governments, two cities and more than 300 industry partners.

Built by Nature said in August that the Principles had been incorporated into the Building for Forests Acceleration Plan, and that a progress report and high-level event were planned for COP31 in Antalya.

BRE said the announcement was made at a COP31 side event titled Building for Forests: Advancing Forest-Positive Construction, which it said was convened by the Building for Forests Coalition. According to BRE, the event was to bring together government ministers, climate leaders and representatives from international organisations, industry and finance.

BREEAM

BRE, the Building Research Establishment, was founded in 1921 and describes itself as a science, innovation and data hub for the built environment. It operates BREEAM, which it describes as a sustainability assessment method for the built environment and infrastructure, with third-party certified standards in use since 1990. BRE says millions of buildings worldwide are registered to BREEAM.

For UK project teams, BRE said the white paper would map requirements, credits and performance benchmarks across BREEAM, LEED, Green Star, DGNB and EDGE, drawing on comparative research. BRE said it would also provide guidance for project teams on how to embed the Principles while pursuing existing certifications.

BRE said the collaboration is proposed to run for 12 months.