Breana Wheeler, BREEAM USA on Transforming Building Performance Through Science-Based Standards

The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

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The Green Impact Report Quick take: An enlightening conversation with BREEAM USA's Director of Operations on how science-based building standards are reshaping real estate value and transforming sustainable performance measurement.

Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Breana Wheeler is the Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, where she leads the deployment of BREEAM's sustainability standards in the United States. With over 20 years of experience in environmental and sustainability risk management, she has been instrumental in adapting BREEAM's science-based methodologies for the U.S. market since 2016.

🌱Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Breana shares transformative insights into building certification:

Key Insight #1: Beyond Traditional Certification

The Challenge: Sustainability certification has historically been used mainly for marketing.
The Solution: Integration of certification into asset value assessment and risk management.
ROI: Access to better financing terms and enhanced asset value through verified performance.

Key Insight #2: Industrial Evolution

The Challenge: Traditional rating systems struggled with triple-net lease properties.
The Solution: BREEAM's unique approach to measuring owner-controlled aspects.
ROI: Enabling certification for previously underserved building sectors.

Key Insight #3: Performance-Based Innovation

The Challenge: Need for reliable, science-based performance metrics.
The Solution: Dual metrics for energy and carbon intensity with minimum standards.
ROI: Clear pathways to achieving net-zero goals while maintaining building value.

Sustainable Soundbite "Once you see climate risk, you can't unsee it. No bank in the world is backing off. They may be backing off of their public commitments some, but there is no way they're backing off the biggest business risk they have to asset value in real estate." - Breana Wheeler

Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps:

This Week: Learn to speak the language of finance when discussing sustainability.
This Quarter: Build cross-departmental relationships to enhance project success.
This Year: Develop comprehensive metrics that align with Version 7's new standards.

Connect & Learn More

🌿 Connect with Breana: LinkedIn Profile
🗒️ Read the transcript: Full Episode Transcript
🔗 Learn more about BREEAM USA's standards and certification process

Want More Green Building Insights? Newsletter coming soon!

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