Quick Guide to BREEAM, LEED & WELL: Building Smarter Workspaces for the Future
By
Karyee Lee
2
Minute Read
Creating workplaces that excel in sustainability, well-being and performance is now a strategic imperative not just a nice to have. For organisations, turning sustainability ambitions into measurable outcomes often means engaging with one or more of the globally recognised certifications: BREEAM, LEED and WELL. Each of these frameworks addresses different but complementary dimensions of the built environment, and for workplace professionals they provide credible proof-points, structured processes and benchmarking. In this guide we unpack each standard, what it measures and why it matters for modern workplaces.
BREEAM: The Environment Standard
Developed in the UK, BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is one of the oldest and most established sustainability certification systems in the built environment. BREEAM assesses a building's procurement, design, construction and operational phases across categories such as energy, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology. It also supports ESG and net-zero goals by promoting whole life performance, resilience and biodiversity.
For workplace operators this means BREEAM certified spaces demonstrate a strong environmental performance, enhanced asset value and reduced risk of regulatory or reputational impacts.
LEED: The Global Benchmark
Created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is widely used across more than 180 countries.
It provides a framework of credits across the themes like energy, efficiency, water conservation, sustainable materials use, indoor environmental quality and innovation. For workplace and corporate real estate, LEED offers an internationally recognised standard that supports benchmarking, reporting and global portfolios.
Projects register, apply through a defined process and achieve certification at different levels (e.g. Certifies, Silver, Gold, Platinum) depending on their performance.
WELL: The People-Centric Standard
Where BREEAM and LEED emphasise environmental and operational performance, WELL shifts the focus to occupant health, comfort and well-being. Managed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system that measures how design, operations and policies impact human health.
WELL addresses ten core concepts including Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community, all of which influence employee health, productivity and engagement. For organisations prioritising workplace wellness, WELL certification signals a commitment to the human side of the environment.
How They Work Together
For organisations looking to create sustainability, high-performing workplaces, there's growing trend towards dual or triple certification: applying BREEAM (for environmental performance), LEED (for global recognition + operational benchmarks) and WELL (for occupant well-being).
This approach enables a holistic vision: a building that is efficient and sustainable, globally comparable, and optimised for the wellbeing for the wellbeing of its people.
Why This Matters for Workplace Professionals
Workplace decision makers from facilities managers and workplace strategists to HR and corporate real estate leaders need to understand these standards not just as labels, but as strategic tools.
They support:
- Credible reporting and ESG disclosure
- Enhanced employee experience and attraction retention of talent
- Reduced operational and lifecycle cost
- Benchmarking and risk mitigation
Selecting the right certification (or combination thereof) and integrating it into your workplace strategy helps convert sustainability aspiration into measurable outcomes.
As the demands around ESG, wellness and sustainability continue to accelerate, certifications like BREEAM, LEED and WELL offer trusted pathways for transformation. They are more than checkboxes, they are frameworks that help turn ambition into action, quantify performance, build trust and deliver better workplaces for both people and planet.
