BRE and GRESB introduce new efficiencies for reporting Green Building Certifications

GRESB is an investor-driven organisation that is transforming the way we assess the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of real assets globally, including real estate portfolios and infrastructure assets.

On 28 Mar 2018, it was announced that BRE and GRESB have teamed up to introduce new efficiencies for reporting Green Building Certifications to the GRESB Real Estate Assessment. The collaboration sees the integration of the BREEAM Application Programming Interface (API) within the GRESB Portal. The API link enables you to locate, select and match valid BREEAM certificate entries to the specific assets within your GRESB portfolio(s), thus providing another layer of transparency to your GRESB reporting.

Within the GRESB Portal, GRESB Participants can link Building Certifications via the ‘Certification’ tab within the Asset Portal. Based on the information provided, the Asset Portal searches BREEAM’s certification database for certified assets in close proximity to the given address. A list of certified assets is then displayed for the user/participant to select the correct certificate associated to the building in question.

This process enhances your asset-level reporting and helps to outline which assets have received a ‘Green Building Certification’. As a GRESB Participant you will be able to demonstrate the assets within your portfolio(s) holding a valid BREEAM certification.

The ease and convenience will improve the reporting process to the GRESB Real Estate Assessment and will help to move towards a more automated process in the future.

This new functionality will be live for the GRESB 2018 reporting period and marks the first step in connecting GRESB to the BREEAM certification dataset. Further functionality will be added over time.

There is a strong synergy between GRESB as a portfolio-based reporting tool and BREEAM as an asset-based reporting and certification methodology. BREEAM and GRESB’s long-term aim is to increase the efficiency of the data reporting and provide clients with an effective means of identifying and improving sustainability performance

To help us to continue to improve reporting efficiencies between BREEAM & GRESB, we want to understand your user experience. If you utilise this new functionality in your GRESB reporting, please provide us with feedback by using the contact details below:

• Sam Turner, BRE; [email protected]bre.co.uk
• Joey Horst, GRESB; [email protected]gresb.com

Please note, the selection of a valid BREEAM certificate in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment Portal does not constitute total verification/validation by BRE or GRESB that the asset in question is fully certified for the duration of the GRESB Assessment cycle.

As a Participant, you will only be able to select BREEAM certificates which have been issued for BREEAM 2008 schemes onwards.

BREEAM is the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for masterplanning projects, infrastructure and buildings. It recognises and reflects the value in higher performing assets across the built environment lifecycle, from new construction to in-use and refurbishment. BREEAM does this through third party certification of the assessment of an asset’s environmental, social and economic sustainability performance, using standards developed by BRE. This means BREEAM-rated developments are more sustainable environments that enhance the well-being of the people who live and work in them, help protect natural resources and make for more attractive property investments.

This article originally appeared in BRE Buzz. It was written by Sam Turner.

--BRE Buzz

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