Background
GRESB currently employs minimum criteria to evaluate building certification schemes for recognition within the GRESB Real Estate Standard. In 2024, the GRESB Foundation requested that the Real Estate Standards Committee (RESC) assess the criteria to ensure it aligns with industry expectations. Key steps in the process included:
- March 2024–GRESB announces public consultation on building certifications
- April to June 2024–A public consultation was held to gather industry views and feedback on draft revised criteria, with responses received from over 100 organizations
- December 2024–GRESB announces revised criteria for building certification schemes
Starting April 2025, GRESB’s Building Certification Evaluation Criteria, published in December 2024, will be used to evaluate schemes for recognition in the GRESB Real Estate Standard.
Transition plan
GRESB’s recognition of building certification schemes is key to guiding real estate strategies globally, and updates to this recognition process are likely to have significant impacts. The GRESB Foundation and RESC are aware of the industry’s reliance on this recognition and are fully committed to ensuring a smooth transition to the revised criteria implementation.
- The current list of recognized certification schemes (found in Appendix 7 of the 2025 GRESB Reference Guide) will continue to be valid for the 2025 and 2026 GRESB Real Estate Standards.
- New certification schemes can be submitted to GRESB for review under the current criteria up until June 1, 2025, after which these criteria will be retired.
- All new and existing certification schemes must meet the revised criteria to be recognized for the 2027 GRESB Standard onwards.
- This evaluation process is due to commence from April 2025.
The current criteria will be retired in 2025 and be replaced by the revised criteria, however implementation to the Standard will take place in 2027.
A tracker with the status of schemes recognized under the revised criteria will become available on this webpage mid-2025 and updated monthly thereafter.
Evaluation process
Starting April 2025, certification scheme providers can submit evidence to GRESB to demonstrate alignment with the revised criteria. The evidence required will be specific to the certification scheme, including aspects on the brand, so it should be provided by scheme providers, not GRESB participants. Scheme providers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Building Certification Evaluation Criteria to understand the required level of evidence.
The online submission portal will become available to scheme providers in April.
Please check this page for ongoing updates on GRESB’s building certification evaluation process.