Mat03 - Responsible sourcing of construction products – Above Green

Minimum standard to achieve 1 credit. (4 credits available)

Aim

To recognise and encourage the specification and procurement of responsibly sourced construction products.

Assessment criteria

The following is required to demonstrate compliance:

Prerequisite

All timber and timber-based products used on the project are Legally harvested and traded timber.

Note: For other construction products there are no prerequisite requirements at this stage.

One credit - Sustainable procurement plan

By the end of concept design stage, the client or developer has a documented policy and procedure that sets out procurement requirements for all suppliers and trades to adhere to relating to the responsible sourcing of construction products (see CN3).

The documented policy and procedure must be disseminated to all relevant internal and external personnel, and included within the construction contract to ensure that they are enforceable on the assessed project.

The documented policy and procedure must encourage the specification of products with responsible sourcing certification over similar products without certification.

Up to three credits - Responsible sourcing of construction products

The available responsible sourcing credits (refer to Table 42) can be awarded where the applicable construction products (refer to Table 43) are responsibly sourced in accordance with the BREEAM methodology, as defined in the Methodology section.

Table 42: The number of BREEAM credits achieved is determined as follows

Responsible sourcing credits	% of available Responsible sourcing points achieved
3	≥ 36
2	≥ 20
1	≥ 10

Exemplary level criteria

The following outlines the exemplary level criteria to achieve one innovation credit for this BREEAM issue:

Where at least 52% of the available responsible sourcing points are achieved.

Checklists and tables

None.

Compliance notes

Ref	Terms	Description
Shell and core (non-residential and residential institutions only)
CN1	Applicable assessment criteria	Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply. Refer to Appendix D – Shell and core project assessments of this Scheme Document for further description of the above options.
Residential - Partially fitted and fully fitted
CN2	Applicable assessment criteria - Single and multiple dwellings	Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply. Refer to Appendix E – Applicability of BREEAM New Construction to single and multiple dwellings, partially and fully fitted for a more detailed description of residential assessment options.
General
CN3	Documented product procurement policy. See criterion 2 .	This may be prepared and adopted at an organisational level or be site or project specific. It is recommended (but not a requirement) that the documented policy follows the principles of BS 8900-1:20131 Managing sustainable development of organisations - Guide or BS 8903:20102 Principles and framework for procuring sustainably – Guide. This policy may form a part of a broader Sustainable Procurement Plan or be in the form of a standalone document.
CN3.1	BREEAM recognised responsible sourcing certification schemes (RSCS) and their point scores. See criterion 5 .	Guidance Note 18 available in the responsible sourcing section of the BREEAM website , provides a table of RSCSs recognised under BREEAM, their scope and associated point scores. This table is reviewed on a regular basis and BREEAM Assessors must ensure they use the current table.
CN3.2	Checking responsible sourcing claims. See criterion 5 .	Confirmation of manufacturers' and suppliers' claims should be sought from the relevant responsible sourcing scheme provider. Many of the organisations who administer responsible sourcing certification schemes will, via their website, list companies and products that have been certified against their standards, including the scope of any such certification. Some schemes, including BES 6001 via www.greenbooklive.com, will provide downloadable copies of the relevant certificate, which can in turn be used as evidence of compliance for this BREEAM issue.
CN3.3	Route 1 Cut-off See step 1 in Methodology.	Any construction product in the following location or use categories (see Table 43) which clearly accounts for less than the following volumes can be excluded from the assessment. The volume considered should be taken as the construction product's overall external dimensions, including any internal voids and air spaces. Minor fixings (brackets, nails, screws etc.), adhesives, seals and ironmongery would normally fall below this threshold. Also, see CN3.5. 'Internal partition and internal walls (including finishes)': Less than 0.33 m³ per 1000m² of gross internal floor area (GIFA). 'Ceiling (including ceiling finishes)': Less than 0.33 m³ per 1000m² of GIFA. All other location or use categories: Less than 1m³ per 1000 m² of GIFA.
CN3.4	Broken chain	To recognise responsible sourcing certification where it does exist in the supply chain, while reducing the risks associated with a broken chain, it is permissible to use the upstream certification score in the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool where the downstream risk to responsible sourcing is considered to be low. Specifically, it is acceptable for the following types of organisations in the supply chain (that are downstream of the organisation with certification) not to have their own responsible sourcing certification: Organisations that only handle or transport, OR Organisations that only fabricate, assemble or install and are using a recognised quality management system to ensure the mixing and substitution of the certified upstream source with uncertified sources has not occurred AND Are operating in a jurisdiction that can demonstrate relatively robust and well enforced environmental, social and economic controls. For example: States which are members of the EU States that have declared adherence to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
CN3.5	Quantities precision	The degree of tolerance accepted for estimating quantities is ± 20% of the final installed quantity. It is not necessary for the assessor to submit calculations in order to justify estimates. In particular, the cut-off estimation for many construction products (that are clearly below the cut-off) may be done without the need for any calculations at all.
CN3.6	Insulation	Insulation must be assessed (where relevant) as part of the Location or Use categories listed in the Table 43 below.

Methodology

To determine the number of credits achieved for criterion 5 , either route 1, 2 or 3 must be followed (see the Additional information section for information on different routes). The following steps outline the process to be followed to determine the number of credits achieved for responsible sourcing.

For examples and a further explanation of this method, along with a simplified methodology for building services construction products, see Guidance Note 24.

Step 1: Collating information and entering it in the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool

For all routes, the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool is used according to the following steps.

1. For each construction product in the building that is in the scope (see Table 44 under 'Scope of assessment' section below):

Note: For Route 1, only steps 1.1,1.3,1.5,1.6,1.7 and 1.9 must be followed. Step 1.4 is optional for routes 1 and 2.

Step 1.1 : Estimate if the quantity of the product is above the cut-off volume (see CN3.3). If it is, enter the construction product in the tool and assign it a ' Location and use' category, then proceed to the next step. If the quantity meets the cut-off then the product can be excluded.

Step 1.2 (Route 2 only): Estimate the quantity (mass or volume) of the product (see CN3.5).

Step 1.3: Obtain the BREEAM recognised responsible sourcing certifications scheme (RSCS) certification or environmental management system (EMS) certification, if any (see CN3.2). Compare the certification with Guidance Note 18 and obtain the RSCS point score. Where the construction product has no certification, is non-compliant with broken chain requirements (see CN3.4) or the certification type is not listed in Guidance Note 18, the score is zero. Where the construction product is a reused product, obtain the score from Guidance Note 18 for these products.

Step 1.4 (Optional, if not being followed go to step 1.5): Where a constituent construction product has a better certification score (see CN3.2) than the overall construction product and it complies with the broken chain requirements (see CN3.4), the following steps should be followed:

Step 1.4.1: Identify the materials categories that make up an estimated ≥ 80% of the constituent construction product's volume.

Step 1.4.2: Include each identified materials category in the tool (by creating new rows in the tool).

Step 1.4.3: If ≥ 5% of the volume is unaccounted for in step 1.4.1, include the 'Other' material category.

Step 1.4.4 (Route 2 only): For each material following route 2 and identified in step 1.4.1, enter the building-wide quantity into the tool. This may be based on a percentage of the overall construction product's quantity estimated in step 1.1.

Step 1.4.5: For each material category (including 'Other'), enter the constituent's certification score identified in step 1.4 into the tool.

Step 1.5: Identify the materials categories that make up an estimated ≥ 80% of the product's volume (excluding quantities entered for step 1.4.1 , if applicable).

Step 1.6: Include each identified materials category in the tool (by duplicating the entry made in step 1.1).

Step 1.7: If ≥ 5% of the volume is unaccounted for in step 1.5 (and step 1.4, where applicable), include the 'Other' material category.

Step 1.8 (Route 2 only): For each material category following route 2 and identified in step 1.5, enter the building-wide quantity into the tool. This may be based on a percentage of the overall construction product's quantity estimated in step1.1.

Step 1.9: For each material category (including 'Other'), enter the overall construction product's certification score (from step 1.3) into the tool.

Step 2: BREEAM International Scoring and reporting tool

Step 2.1: Enter the credit result produced by the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool into the BREEAM International scoring and reporting tool.

Scope of Assessment

Table 43 (based on the New Rules of Measurement (NRM) classification system) indicates the building elements that must be included in the scope of the assessment. Including these elements (and only these) is necessary to ensure an appropriate level of comparability. All construction products that are installed as part of one or more of these building elements are in scope and must be included in the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool. For each building element the respective location or use category for use in the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool is provided in the table.

Table 43Scope assessment, common building element designation and location and use categories

RICS NRM elements and BREEAM equivalents
Level 1 element: 1–Substructure Level 2 element: 1–Substructure
Level 3 sub-element		BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Standard foundations	7. Structure , primary and secondary	Y
2	Specialist foundations systems	7. Structure , primary and secondary	Y
3	Lowest floor construction	7. Structure , primary and secondary	Y
4	Basement excavation	N/A	Y
5	Basement retaining walls	7. Structure , primary and secondary	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 1–Frame
Level 3 sub-element		BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Steel frames	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
2	Space decks	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
3	Concrete casings to steel frames	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
4	Concrete frames	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
5	Timber frames	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
6	Other frame systems	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 2–Upper Floors
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Floors	3. Floor (including floor finishes)	Y
2	Balconies	3. Floor (including floor finishes)	Y
3	Drainage to balconies	11. Other	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 3–Roof
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Roof structure	6. Roof (including roof finishes)	Y
2	Roof coverings	6. Roof (including roof finishes)	Y
3	Specialist roof systems	6. Roof (including roof finishes)	Y
4	Roof drainage	6. Roof (including roof finishes)	Y
5	Roof lights, skylights and openings	2. Door and window	Y
6	Roof features	6. Roof (including roof finishes)	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 4–Stairs and ramps
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Stairs and ramps structures	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
2	Stair and ramp finishes	3. Floor (including floor finishes)	Y
3	Stair and ramp balustrades and handrails	11. Other	Y
4	Ladders, chutes and slides	11. Other	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 5–External walls
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	External enclosing walls above ground floor level	8. External wall	Y
2	External enclosing wall below ground floor level	7. Structure, primary and secondary	Y
3	Solar and Rain screening	8. External wall	Y
4	External soffits	8. External wall	Y
5	Subsidiary walls, balustrades, handrail and proprietary balconies	11. Other	Y
6	Façade access and cleaning systems	11. Other	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 6–Windows and external doors
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	External windows	2. Door and window	Y
2	External doors	2. Door and window	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 7–Internal walls and partitions
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Walls and partitions	5. Internal partition and internal walls (including finishes)	Y
2	Balustrades and handrails	11. Other	Y
3	Moveable room dividers	5. Internal partition and internal walls (including finishes)	Y
4	Cubicles	5. Internal partition and internal walls (including finishes)	Y
Level 1 element: 2–Superstructure Level 2 element: 8–Internal doors
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Internal doors	2. Door and window	Y
Level 1 element: 3–Internal Finishes Level 2 element: 1–Wall finishes
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Finishes to walls	5. Internal partition and internal walls (including finishes)	Y
Level 1 element: 3–Internal Finishes Level 2 element: 3–Ceiling finishes
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	Finishes to ceilings	1. Ceiling (including ceiling finishes)	Y
2	False ceilings	1. Ceiling (including ceiling finishes)	Y
3	Demountable suspended ceilings	1. Ceiling (including ceiling finishes)	Y
Level 1 element: 4–Fittings, Furnishings and Equipment Level 2 element: 1–Fitting, furnishings and equipment
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
2	Kitchen fittings and equipment (ONLY)	11. Other	Y
Level 1 element: 5–Services Level 2 element: (ALL)
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
	(ALL)	9. Building services	Y
Level 1 element: 8–External Works Level 2 element: 2–Roads, paths and pavings
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	(ALL)	10. Hard landscaping	Y
Level 1 element: 8–External Works Level 2 element: 2–Roads, paths and pavings
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	(ALL)	10. Hard landscaping	Y
Level 1 element: 8–External Works Level 2 element: 3–Soft landscaping, planting and irrigation systems
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
		N/A	N
Level 1 element: 8–External Works Level 2 element: 4–Fencing, railings and walls
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
1	(ALL)	10. Hard landscaping	Y
Level 1 element: 8–External Works Level 2 element: 5–External fixtures
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
			N
Level 1 element: 8–External Works Level 2 element: 6–External drainage
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
	(ALL)	9. Building services	Y
Level 1 element: 8–External Works Level 2 element: 7–External services
Sub-element	BREEAM Location	BREEAM ‘Location/use’ category	To be included
	(ALL)	9. Building services	Y

The material categories, for use in the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool, must be in accordance with Table 44. For each construction product, identify the closest matching category.

Table 44Material categories

Material categories
Timber or timber-based products Concrete or cementitious Metal Stone or aggregate Clay-based Gypsum Glass Plastic, polymer, resin, paint, chemicals and bituminous Animal fibre, skin, cellulose fibre Other.

Evidence

Criteria

Interim design stage

Final post-construction stage

Written confirmation from the principal contractor or client that all timber and timber based products will be sourced in compliance with the definition of Legally harvested and Legally traded timber or has certification that fulfils these requirements (e.g. FSC, PEFC) OR

A specification or letter of intent from the design team confirming that all timber and timber based products will be procured in accordance with the BREEAM requirements.

Documentary evidence confirming all timber used in the building is legally harvested and trader timber.

2 –4

A copy of the documented sustainable procurement plan.

Evidence that the plan is disseminated, or a written commitment to do so.

Evidence that the plan is included in the construction contract, or a written commitment to do so.

Evidence that there is a policy to encourage the specification of products with responsible sourcing certification.

Evidence that the plan was disseminated.

Evidence that the plan was included in the construction contract.

A copy of the completed BREEAM International Mat 03 tool.

A copy of all responsible sourcing and EMS certificates OR

A letter of intent from the design team or other detailed documentary evidence confirming that the products shall be sourced from suppliers capable of providing the required certification.

For affected certified construction products, evidence on how the broken chain requirements are met.

Written confirmation that the documentary evidence provided at the design stage was followed during construction.

Where different from the design stage, provide updated documentary evidence that was followed during construction.

Where certified materials were used, copies of certificates AND

Corresponding invoices and delivery receipts.

For post-construction stage assessment only, provide a copy of the BREEAM Mat 03 calculator and detailed documentary evidence (as listed for the design stage) AND

corresponding invoices and delivery receipts.

Additional information

Relevant definitions

BREEAM International Mat 03 calculator

A calculator tool used by the BREEAM Assessor to determine the number of BREEAM credits achieved for BREEAM issue Mat 03.

BREEAM recognised responsible sourcing certification schemes (RSCSs)

These are third party schemes evaluated by BRE Global for recognition under BREEAM. Refer to Guidance Note 18 available in the Responsible sourcing section of the BREEAM website for information on the evaluation criteria and the process for the evaluation and acceptance of schemes, including application and appeals.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls. All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Convention has to be authorised through a licensing system. Each Party to the Convention must designate one or more Management Authorities in charge of administering that licensing system and one or more scientific authorities to advise them on the effects of trade on the status of the species. The species covered by CITES are listed in three appendices, according to the degree of protection they need.

Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival.
Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

Appendices I and II of the CITES list illustrate species of timber that are protected outright. Appendix III of the CITES list illustrates species that are protected in at least one country. If a timber species used in the project is on Appendix III it can be included as part of the assessment as long as the timber is not obtained from the country or countries seeking to protect this species.

Legally harvested and traded timber

Legally harvested timber and wood-derived products are those that originate from a forest where the following criteria are met:

The forest owner or manager holds legal use rights to the forest
There is compliance by both the forest management organisation and any contractors with local and national legal criteria including those relevant to:
1. Forest management
2. Environment
3. Labour and welfare
4. Health and safety
5. Other parties’ tenure and use rights
6. All relevant royalties and taxes are paid.
There is full compliance with the criteria of CITES.

Legally traded means timber or products derived from Legally harvested timber were:

Exported in compliance with exporting country laws governing the export of timber and timber products, including payment of any export taxes, duties or levies
Imported in compliance with importing country laws governing the import of timber and timber products, including payment of any import taxes, duties or levies
Traded in compliance with legislation related to the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), where applicable.

New Rules of Measurement

NRM provides a standard set of measurement rules and essential guidance for the cost management of construction projects and maintenance works. For more information visit: www.rics.org/.

Responsible sourcing

The management and implementation of sustainable development principles in the provision, procurement and traceability of construction materials and components. In BREEAM, this is demonstrated through auditable third party certification schemes. Refer to Guidance Note 18 available in the Responsible sourcing section of the BREEAM website for an up-to-date table of RSCSs recognised by BRE Global Ltd for the purposes of a BREEAM assessment.

Responsible sourcing certification scheme point scores

A graded scale to reflect the rigour of the certification scheme used to demonstrate responsible sourcing, forming the basis for awarding credits in the BREEAM issue Mat 03. Refer to Guidance Note 18 available in the Responsible sourcing section of the BREEAM website for an up-to-date table of RSCSs recognised by BRE Global Ltd for the purposes of a BREEAM assessment.

Route 1

Route 1 does not require the quantities of each construction product to be entered into the BREEAM International Mat 03 tool. This reduces the time taken to calculate the score achieved per construction product but, because the varying quantities of each construction product in the building cannot be taken into account when the credit is calculated, the lowest 'location or use' category score per materials category is used for the overall materials category score.

Route 2

Route 2 provides a more accurate measurement of the risks in the building design associated with construction products by taking account of the quantity of each construction product with a location and use category. It requires quantities to be entered into BREEAM International Mat 03 tool rather than using the lowest 'location or use' category score per material category. The improvement in rigour justifies route 2 having the potential to produce better scores than route 1.

Route 3

Route 3 is a mixture of route 1 and route 2. For example, route 1 may be used for the timber or timber-based category and route 2 for the metal category. Only one route may be used per materials category.

Other information

None.