What is the Strategic Ecology Framework?

The Strategic Ecological Framework (SEF) is a pioneering methodology which is currently being developed by the BRE to assess ecology related criteria across all of its UK’s BREEAM schemes. This new approach is necessary to ensure that the BREEAM’s approach to ecological assessment remain current and up to date. The methodology itself has remained largely unchanged since 1998 and it is expected to be implemented into some of the UK’s BREEAM schemes by 2018.

Implementing the Strategic Ecology Framework

Currently, the implementation of the Strategic Ecology Framework (SEF) is underway and the BRE has formed a BREEAM SEF Implementation Advisory Group with a purpose to advise on developing a methodology to apply the SEF that could be used across all BREEAM schemes. The work is structured into three stages:

Stage 1: The formation of the SEF Advisory group and working group meeting (Completed)

Stage 2: Implementation of SEF –Focus on ecology links to wider sustainability activities in order to highlight the opportunities for ecology to link with other related disciplines such as landscape and amenity.

Stage 3: Implementation of SEF – Practical application considerations and wider stakeholder involvement

For stage 3, we will be involved in providing feedback on the new or updated assessment developed in line with the SEF during the scheme development consultation phases. In the long term, the SEF is expected to be applied into the UK’s BREEAM Schemes starting in 2018.

If you’d like to contribute to our consultation response please forward any comments you may have to our lead assessor: zeta@hodkinsonconcultancy.com