BIM and sustainability standards are converging
Building Information Modelling (BIM) creates digital modelling of buildings before and during construction. This helps early identification of design conflicts, better project planning, reduced waste and work, as well as improved safety and compliance implementation.
By creating a single source of information for all project stakeholders, BIM improves collaboration and allows issues to be identified and resolved before they become costly on-site problems.
While the concept of BIM has existed since the 1970s, it became an international standard in 2018. Adoption has remained consistently strong, with around seven in ten construction professionals using BIM¹. Meanwhile, compliance with BIM continues to increase, with one in three professionals now working to the standard, up from one in five in 2023. This demonstrates how BIM has evolved from an emerging technology into a core tool that helps modern construction delivery.
Bureau Veritas is strengthening its support to clients in the industry
Bureau Veritas will serve as the Verification Administrator for the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, helping to provide independent assurance as the industry moves towards a net-zero future and regulations become more stringent.
Alongside this, Bureau Veritas has recently acquired IDP Group, a leading independent provider of BIM, Project Management Assistance, and Digital Twin services, as well as Verte and Sustainable Construction Services (SCS), two UK sustainability consultancies specialising in green building certification, net zero carbon advisory, and energy efficiency services for the construction and real estate sectors. These acquisitions strengthen Bureau Veritas’ ability to support clients throughout the entire building lifecycle, from design and construction through to operation and maintenance.
Rigas Malamoutsis, Managing Director, Verte said:
“The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard provides an opportunity to accelerate the decarbonisation of UK real estate – and we’re now seeing Green Building Certification updates, including BREEAM v7 and SKA v2, align with its targets. Given the scale of transition required, these targets are necessarily ambitious and tighten over time to ensure we keep pace with what’s needed to reach Net Zero. They also make commercial sense, as stranding is increasingly being priced into valuations. Aligning assets with the Standard will help reduce operational costs and not only retain value but become more attractive to certain types of buyers.”
Steve Highwood (Bureau Veritas, UK Building & Infrastructure Director CAPEX) discusses the increasingly strict green building standards:
“Since sustainability verification became integral to construction, developers now need to prove carbon performance, energy efficiency, operational sustainability and regulatory compliance.
“As a result, sustainability considerations can no longer be left until the later stages of a project. Instead, they must be integrated into decision-making from the outset to ensure developments meet increasingly ambitious environmental targets.
“Updates to certification schemes such as BREEAM v7, alongside the introduction of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS), are helping to establish clear benchmarks for sustainable construction and building performance. These disciplines are increasingly converging, helping developers test design options, future-proof developments, model carbon impacts earlier and identify compliance risks before construction begins.
“BIM provides the data that can support throughout the three stages of development: design, construction and operation. Meanwhile, BREEAM provides a recognised framework for measuring and improving sustainability performance throughout a building’s lifecycle.
“While regulations continue to evolve, data-driven construction will become the standard as Net Zero and sustainability expectations become more demanding. Organisations that integrate and work with BIM and BREEAM today will be best positioned to succeed in the future.”
To learn more about how to implement BIM and BREEAM, visit Bureau Veritas.
Sources
About Bureau Veritas Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification (TIC), providing high-quality services to help clients meet the challenges of quality, health & safety, environmental protection, and social responsibility. With sector-leading expertise in sustainable finance, ESG advisory and EU Taxonomy alignment, Bureau Veritas is uniquely placed to guide organisations throughout their sustainability transition – operationalising their ambitions to achieve progress, and accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon, more sustainable economy.
About Steve Highwood
Director (UK Building & Infrastructure CAPEX) BSc (Hons), C.BuildE, FCABE, MCI
Steve is an experienced Business Development and Marketing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. He has worked within the multi-disciplinary Construction and Infrastructure consultancy services sector for over 30 years.
Steve’s expertise lies in business growth strategy, operational management, and development, combining marketing and sector development, key account management, new business opportunities, and client relationship management.