December newsletter | GRESB is now B Corp Certified; NZWG Findings; upcoming GRESB events

As we approach 2024, we hope our investor members, participants, and partners are taking time to reflect on the successes, milestones, and challenges of 2023 and to prepare for the next step in their sustainability journey in the new year.

In this newsletter, we reflect on our own GRESB milestones, events, and wider industry progress, sharing exciting announcements and providing useful industry resources. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect to read:

• GRESB is now B Corp Certified!
• Findings from the Net Zero Working Groups
• GRESB’s 2023 in review
• Upcoming GRESB and industry events
• A brand-new quarterly newsletter focused on Oceania
• And much more!

Read more below. In the meantime, we extend our best wishes for a productive, prosperous, and healthy 2024 to all our members, partners, and participants. Here’s to another year of impactful sustainability initiatives and collaborative strides towards a more sustainable future!

GRESB is proud to announce it is now B Corp Certified.

The B Corp Certification reinforces our long-standing commitment to helping the real assets industry create a more sustainable future and reflects the dedication of the GRESB team and our mission to empower real assets decision-makers to evaluate, benchmark, and improve their sustainability performance.

Read the press release here.

As a B Corp Certified company, GRESB is not only committed to improving sustainable practices across the real assets industry, but also within our own operations. You can learn more about our sustainability goals, priorities, practices, and impact on our sustainability page.

As the curtains draw on 2023, it’s time to look back on the achievements, the milestones, and the collaborative successes we have achieved alongside our investor members, participants, and partners. Explore the highlights of GRESB’s 2023 in review below:

• In “A time of change,” GRESB’s Chief Innovation Officer Chris Pyke reflects on the evolution of ESG in real assets. As sustainability progresses from novelty to business core, encountering some resistance along the way, he looks to today’s leaders for insights into the future direction of this transformative journey. Read the full article here.
• 2023 at GRESB was marked by the release of important new features and continuous technical improvements to ensure that our investor members, participants, and partners can make the most of their GRESB membership and capitalize on their sustainability efforts. Read about GRESB’s 2023 milestones here.
• This year we also hosted a record number of events. From our GRESB Global Results Events to our in-person Regional Insights events, we brought the industry together to discuss important issues, trends, and challenges with the aim of contributing to more sustainable real assets. View our 2023 events in review here.

In early 2023, the GRESB Foundation identified net zero as a key focus area for the GRESB Standards and established the Net Zero Working Groups to examine the complexities of achieving net zero in real estate and infrastructure.

Over the course of three months, industry professionals gathered to dissect these complexities, exploring the technical nuances, diverse perspectives, and critical challenges intrinsic to attaining net zero within real estate and infrastructure.

The culmination of this intensive exploration is the Net Zero Working Group Findings for real estate and infrastructure. These comprehensive documents detail the Groups’ insights, critical analyses, and practical recommendations aimed at addressing net zero in the GRESB Standards.

Read the findings here.

Make sure to join us for our upcoming GRESB events in January:

We’re excited to share the launch of our latest newsletter, “GRESB Quarterly, Oceania”!

Directly from our Oceania team to your inbox, this quarterly newsletter focuses on the topics, issues, and information most relevant to the Oceania region. Our Oceania team will share relevant events and thought leadership for GRESB members and participants either located or interested in the region.

Read the newsletter and sign up here.

Standards Committees call for applicants

As several of the original Standards Committee members finish up their two-year term, we are actively seeking new applications for the Real Estate and Infrastructure Standards Committees. The Foundation Board will begin reviewing GRESB members’ applications in the coming weeks and we invite you to express your interest by completing this nomination form.

The Foundation also welcomes GRESB members to apply to join one of the Expert Resource Groups as we accept new ERG members on a rolling basis.

Foundation Round Tables

In line with the priorities outlined in the GRESB Foundation 2024 Roadmap, the Foundation recently hosted two round tables to discuss data coverage and social sustainability. Both the real estate and infrastructure work plans include these topics, so the Foundation recognizes it is important to connect with GRESB’s global stakeholders to ensure the evolution of the standards is informed by the industries’ perspectives. We look forward to creating future opportunities for similar discussions in the new year.

GRESB case studies explore the many ways our community uses GRESB, looking at how our investor members and managers engage with our data and integrate GRESB into their investment processes and decision-making.

View our latest case studies and features below, including our Asset Impact case studies:

• From compliance to leadership: Vivenio’s ESG journey with GRESB | GRESB manager case study
• Leveraging asset-based data for impact: KLP’s active ownership journey | Asset Impact case study

The theme this month was “Reflections on 2023.” Below are the latest GRESB Insights on this and other rolling topics:

• How to engage tenants to share utilities data | nanoGrid
• The rising focus on water scarcity | HydroPoint
• Reflections on 2023 and a look ahead to 2024 | Schneider Electric
• Myths about data and estimation for GRESB and decarbonization planning | arbnco

See all of our GRESB Insights here. Next month’s topic is “Infrastructure in Development.”

See the 2024 GRESB editorial calendar and submit an article here.

Please take a moment to participate in our 2023 GRESB Participant Survey. Your insights and feedback are crucial in helping us enhance our services and drive sustainability improvements across the industry.

• Participant survey for real estate and infrastructure funds
• Participant survey for infrastructure assets

ULI Global Sustainability Outlook 2024 | January 10 | Online

Hear from industry leaders on key sustainability issues for 2024, why they matter, and what actions the industry should consider.

Launch of ANREV/INREV/PREA Investment Intentions Asia Survey 2024 | January 17 | Hong Kong

Gain valuable insights from the 2024 ANREV/INREV/PREA Investment Intentions survey, encompassing allocations and investment intentions of major institutional investors and funds of funds managers.

2024 Visions, Insights & Perspectives (VIP) Americas | January 22–24 | Carlsbad, CA, USA

Join GRESB’s Dan Winters for IREI’s flagship event to network with the industry’s top investment managers, investors, and consultants.

World Built Environment Forum Week 2024 | Jan 29 – Feb 1 | Online

Participate in the 7th annual WBEF Week for critical discussions on transforming the built and natural environment, addressing challenges like decarbonization and outlining practical solutions across energy, infrastructure, and the building life cycle.

The 2nd Annual ESG and Decarbonizing Real Estate Forum (Winter) | February 8–9 | Nashville, TN, USA

Discuss ESG principles in global policymaking and institutional investments and the social factors that have made ESG an increasingly important topic as climate change worsens.

See our events calendar for a full overview of upcoming events.

GRESB is growing and looking for new people! Please feel free to share with your network.

Our most recently added open positions:

• Junior Financial Controller | Amsterdam
• Climate Data Analyst – Intern (Asset Impact) | Paris
• Marketing and Communications Intern (Sustainability) | Amsterdam

• Sealing sustainability: GRESB highlights the growing importance of ESG for infrastructure developments | Institutional Investing in Infrastructure
• GRESB: Net-zero targets and asset sustainability reveal sharp regional differences | PERE
• Social Impact across the Built Environment | World Green Building Council
• Brown-to-green funds offer a much-needed narrative for adding value | PERE