Dwellings.

The Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced in England in April 2007 to improve the overall sustainability of new homes by setting a single framework within which the building industry can design and construct new homes to higher environmental standards. The Code measures sustainability of a home against 9 design categories: energy, water, materials, waste water run off, waste, pollution, health & wellbeing, management and ecology. It provides credits under these headings which categorises dwellings into 6 Code levels (Code 1 being the least demanding and Code 6 the most demanding).

Commercial.

Commercial buildings are now being categorised under a BREEAM assessment and rating. Based on the same criteria as the Code for sustainable homes, points are allocated with ratings given from good to outstanding.