CIBSE Certification and the Better Buildings Partnership hosted an exclusive invite-only NABERS UK Breakfast Briefing at AECOM’s London offices recently. The event brought together leading voices from across the built environment to discuss the latest developments in the NABERS UK scheme, its growing impact on real-world building performance and to mark just over a year of CIBSE’s administration of the scheme in the UK.
The morning began with a warm welcome from Kieran O’Brien, Director of CIBSE Certification, followed by an overview of CIBSE’s role in the scheme and its broader energy efficiency work from CIBSE CEO Ruth Carter.
A highlight of the briefing was the keynote address by Carlos Flores, Director of NABERS, who travelled from Australia to share global insights on how the scheme is evolving and driving change internationally. His presentation provided valuable context on the success of NABERS in Australia and what that could mean for the UK market as adoption increases.
The event also featured a case study presentation on 11–12 Wellington Place, a standout example of how the NABERS UK scheme is applied from design through to operation. Speakers Brad McHale (Arup), Miles Jones (Federated Hermes), and David Freestone (CBRE) shared practical takeaways from their involvement in the project.
A panel discussion followed, exploring the use of NABERS UK in operational buildings. Chaired by Carlos Flores, the panel included expert contributions from Malcolm Hanna (LGIM), Peter Williams (Stanhope), and Ikram Oyebanjo (Royal London Asset Management). The conversation offered honest reflections on challenges and successes in applying NABERS UK post-development.
The event closed with informal networking over breakfast, providing an opportunity for attendees to continue the conversation and share perspectives in a relaxed setting.
This timely and thought-provoking briefing underlined the continued momentum behind NABERS UK and the role of performance-based ratings in improving energy outcomes across the commercial real estate sector.