How GNFZ can support you with your GRESB submission
One of the many benefits to achieving GNFZ’s suite of net zero certification programs is that they are recognized by industry experts and stakeholders as a verified pathway to achieve net zero certification as recognized by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol in the categories of energy, emissions, water and waste. One of those leading stakeholder organizations is Amsterdam based GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark), an internationally recognized ESG benchmark that assesses the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios and infrastructure assets.
GRESB’s datasets include more than 150 institutional and financial investors worldwide collectively valued at almost 9 trillion U.S. dollars as well as physical assets and companies that account for more than 75% of global GHG emissions. It provides a standardized framework for evaluating how well companies and assets manage ESG risks and opportunities.
The GRESB Real Estate Assessment is primarily designed for real estate companies, funds, and portfolios – not individual buildings. However, individual building performance (especially environmental metrics like energy, water, waste, and emissions) feeds into the overall portfolio score. Like GNFZ’s certification platform, GRESB’s Real Estate Assessment’s methodology is consistent across regions, investment vehicles, and property types, and it aligns with international reporting frameworks.
GRESB is strongly aligned with net zero goals based on the outcomes and strategies of their GRESB Real Estate Assessment. The real estate assessment has three main components: The management component which measures a company’s leadership, policies and strategies; a development component which measures a company’s efforts to address ESG issues during a buildings design, construction and renovation stages; and a performance component which considers a portfolio’s indicator on energy, GHG emissions, water and waste:
Energy: The performance component measures energy consumption, efficiency, and renewable energy use. It rewards reductions in energy intensity and offers peer benchmarking to help owners and investors increase energy efficiencies.
Emissions: The performance component tracks Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. It encourages carbon neutrality and science-based targets. GRESB, like GNFZ, also places an emphasis on reducing the impact of embodied carbon associated with building materials and construction.
Water: The performance component assesses water consumption, efficiency measures, and alternative water sources and offers peer benchmarking to help owners and investors increase water efficiency.
Waste: The performance component evaluates waste generation, diversion rates, and circular economy practices. It also provides peer benchmarking helping owners and investors to identify opportunities to increase waste efficiencies.
All these components align with GNFZ’s values and principles behind our certification processes.
GRESB also awards points for net zero commitments, third-party certifications — including all of GNFZ’s Net Zero Certifications for Buildings — and climate risk assessments and resilience planning.
Key Messages:
GRESB is for portfolios, but building-level actions (like Net Zero strategies) are essential to scoring well.
Pursuing net zero energy, emissions, water, and waste directly improves performance indicators in GRESB.
It helps demonstrate leadership, risk management, and ESG alignment — all key to investor confidence.
GNFZ Net Zero Certifications for Buildings accepted by GRESB
Starting June 2025, the following schemes will be accepted by GRESB for recognition under the Building Certification indicator (BC1):
Net Zero Energy
GNFZ’s Net Zero Design: Energy certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Construction: Energy certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Operations: Energy certification
Net Zero Emissions
GNFZ’s Net Zero Design: Emissions certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Construction: Emissions certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Operations: Emissions certification
Net Zero Water
GNFZ’s Net Zero Design: Water certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Construction: Water certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Operations: Water certification
Net Zero Waste
GNFZ’s Net Zero Design: Water certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Construction: Water certification
GNFZ’s Net Zero Operations: Water certification
If you are considering going through the GRESB Assessment process, GNFZ is here to help. Reach out to our team to learn how we can support: https://lnkd.in/dBVhD8qP.
