What's New
Stay up-to-date on developments to GRESB's reporting experience, resources, and Standards.
Published March 31, 2026
Updated May 1, 2026
Improved Reporting Experience
In direct response to member feedback, GRESB has introduced several enhancements to reduce workload, improve usability, and strengthen data quality:
Asset Analytics Improvements
Live Data
Available from April 1, the Live Data tab of Asset Analytics experience in the Asset Portal simplifies GRESB reporting by providing real-time asset-level insights, helping you understand, validate, and act on your data before submission.
Real-time asset-level visibility using the GRESB methodology, enabling earlier validation of data coverage, like-for-like and energy efficiency eligibility, and intensities during the assessment cycle.
Early identification of data gaps and quality issues before aggregation, helping streamline review, reduce corrections, and support a more controlled submission process.
Launching in May, the Simulated Asset Scoring tool will enable modeling of how asset performance may translate into potential GRESB scoring outcomes before submission, helping support year-round planning and decision-making. Register interest here.
Submitted Data
Available from April 15, Submitted Data tab of Asset Analytics gives you access to asset-level records from previous submissions—so you can quickly reference historic Asset Spreadsheet data and review the analytics that were generated from it.
Streamlined Output
Whether you're exporting live or submitted data, the Portal now consolidates Energy, GHG, Water, and Waste metrics into a single file. This makes key performance data easier to access, review, and share.
Additional Asset Portal Improvements
Make asset level workflows more intuitive and easier to navigate
Several improvements are focused on making the Asset Portal easier to use day-to-day. These include more consistent navigation, improved page naming, a permanent left-side navigation menu on the asset page, and clearer back button behavior. Together, these changes help participants move more confidently through asset level workflows.
Improve visibility of asset status and validation issues
GRESB understood a need from members to identify problems earlier and more clearly. Improvements such as a sortable Status column for sold and owned assets, year-level validation highlighting, and showing the number of errors in the left-side menu are designed to help users quickly spot what exactly needs attention and where the error is located.
Strengthen data quality controls at source
A major theme in the Asset Portal improvements is preventing avoidable errors before they flow through to the Assessment Portal, aggregation, and scoring. This includes blocking edits where an asset name is a duplicate, standardizing duplicate-name import error messages, flagging suspicious ownership percentages such as values at or below 1%, flagging assets with extremely low GFA, and distinguishing between days owned for calendar year and fiscal year logic.
Make import workflows more reliable and easier to understand
A number of changes aim to make Asset Spreadsheet imports reflect reality more closely and reduce confusion during the upload process. These include improved import statuses, better alignment between the import modal and portal behavior, aligned column names between the import error table and CSV export, and locking Asset Spreadsheet column formats in the template to reduce formatting related issues.
Learn More about the Asset Portal
Assessment Portal Improvements
Make reporting scope workflows easier and less manual
A key improvement area for users based on member feedback is that GRESB introduced a pre-filled Reporting Scope Evidence Template exportable directly from the Portal.
This directly reduces the amount of manual work needed to translate portfolio boundary decisions into assessment responses. This reduces copy paste effort and lowers the risk of errors. With country and property-type level aggregation having become more granular in years past, participants previously needed to re-enter this information into the R1 and DR1 Reporting Scope Evidence templates manually.
In addition, there is now a clearer interface with direct links between the R1 and DR1 tables in the response and the Asset Portal enhancing visibility and interoperability.
Flag indicators with scoring changes
Indicators with a scoring change due to Standards Updates will now be flagged with a 2026 Scoring Update label and linked to corresponding guidance.
Standard Methodology Insights Report
Launched in late 2025 and available to Real Estate Participants in the GRESB Portal, this report enhances transparency around methodological changes and provides participants with early, illustrative insights into potential scoring impacts ahead of the 2026 Assessment cycle.
The analysis in the report applies the 2026 Standard to the data you submitted for the 2025 GRESB Real Estate Assessment. The insights in the report are purely illustrative and not predictive—they are designed to help participants anticipate the possible influence of the 2026 updates, particularly changes related to general Standard updates (embodied carbon and indicator retirement and weighting adjustments) and technical refinements (GHG Scope reclassification and ownership period). Results from 2026 will depend on new data submissions, shifts in relative benchmarking, broader market developments, and reporting behavior that cannot be modeled in advance.
All GRESB Members who participated in the 2025 Real Estate Standing Investment or Development Benchmark can now access their 2026 Standard Methodology Insights report directly in the Portal from the Reports section of each reporting entity.
Please note that the report is not available to Investor Members and cannot be shared with investors in the Portal.
New Real Estate Lender Assessment
Building on a multiyear collaboration with real estate lenders and investors globally, the GRESB Real Estate Lender Assessment is a structured, independently validated framework purpose-built for lenders. It evaluates how sustainability considerations are embedded across lending practices and delivers validated, comparable insights for credit and investment teams.
Explore the guidance and watch an on-demand webinar to learn more.
Find Lender Assessment Guidance Here
Real Estate Standard Development
Public Consultation: Road to Performance
The GRESB Foundation is seeking feedback on proposed updates to strengthen performance-based scoring in the future Real Estate Standard. Share your views on the direction, pace, and design of these changes. The consultation closes on April 23.
Join members of the GRESB Real Estate Standard Committee for a live discussion on the public consultation on April 8.
2026 Real Estate Standard Updates
The 2026 Real Estate Standard continues the multi-year trajectory toward a more transparent, predictable, and decision-useful framework. This year’s updates focus on strengthening data quality, increasing comparability, and rewarding measurable performance.
In addition, GRESB launched the 2026 Standard Methodology Insights report in late 2025, available to Real Estate Participants in the GRESB Portal. The analysis in the report applies the 2026 Standard to the data you submitted for the 2025 GRESB Real Estate Assessment. Learn more here.
Key changes include:
Reward more credible, measurable performance
Embodied carbon: Now scored, recognizing upfront carbon measurement and transparency
Net zero: Strengthened requirements to improve credibility and alignment with industry frameworks, including clearer target definition and asset coverage
Reallocate points toward higher-priority topics
Retirement of select indicators (e.g., LE3, SE2.2) and weighting adjustments across key areas such as climate risk, human capital, tenant engagement, and target setting
Continued focus on raising expectations without changing the overall structure of the Assessment
Improve technical accuracy of performance data
GHG Scope reclassification to better align with leading frameworks
Ownership period refinements in the aggregation model to more accurately reflect holding periods
Clarify reporting and reduce inconsistencies
Enhanced guidance on estimation methodologies
Additional renewable energy procurement options
New non-binary gender identity option in human capital reporting
Find the full list of 2026 Real Estate Standard updates here
GRESB Assessment Q&A Webinar
On April 1st, the GRESB Member Success Team held a live webinar for participants to discuss and ask questions about the 2026 Real Estate Assessment.
Watch the session on-demand here:
Resources & Support
GRESB Guides
GRESB launched the GRESB Guides platform in 2026 to streamline access to key information and create a more intuitive user learning experience.
Updated structure: In response to Member feedback, each assessment now has its own dedicated space consolidating key guidance into an all-in-one platform.
AI-supported search feature (Beta): GRESB Guides now includes an enhanced search feature that provides short, AI-supported answers directly from the search box. This feature is currently in Beta (testing phase) while GRESB continues to refine it and collect user feedback. Always verify responses against the official guidance and review this disclaimer before use.
Read more about GRESB Guides here
GRESB Helpdesk
The GRESB Helpdesk is powered by the GRESB Member Success Team, dedicated to providing GRESB Members (Investors, Participants, and Partners) with timely and responsive support on the GRESB Assessment.
Contact [email protected] for support from the Member Success Team.
GRESB Participants requiring additional assistance with their submission can also refer to our network of contracted GRESB Partners. See our Partner Directory.
Strengthen Your Submission with GRESB
The GRESB Member Success team provides expert support and services to help strengthen your submission and improve outcomes.
Starting April 1, participants can request a Pre-Submission Check—an evidence validation review which includes a one-hour call and a report outlining findings and feedback.
New in 2026 - Premium Support:
Technical Expert Touchpoint: Available year-round, this service provides focused, one-on-one face time engagement with a GRESB Member Success expert, offering tailored guidance at any stage of your GRESB journey.
Success Suite: A new bundled offering that brings together core premium support elements in the GRESB journey, including: one GRESB AP seat, one Technical Expert Touchpoint, one Pre-Submission Check, eligibility to opt in to Assessment Correction, and one Results Performance Review (formerly Results Consultation).
For any questions about the Assessments, services, or products, please contact the GRESB Member Relations team.
Guidance Clarification Log
This section will note any clarifications or additions that GRESB makes to the Real Estate Assessment guidance from April 1st onwards.
Independent third-party definition (MR1-4; RP1): Positioned the definition as a set of exemplary characteristics underpinning 'independence,' rather than a set of hard restrictions, by removing the reference to "must."
About GRESB Guides
This section will guide you through everything you need to know about the improvements GRESB made to its educational material in 2026. It categorizes these improvements as:
Structural changes: Understand how to find the content you're looking for.
Guidance clarifications: Learn about member-driven clarifications to GRESB guidance.
Note that these improvements differ in scope from Standards-related updates, which the GRESB Foundation oversees. See here for 2026 Standards Updates.
Structural Changes
GRESB Guides replaces the legacy resource areas (e.g., documents.gresb.com) with a more practical user experience that reflects how participants complete GRESB Assessments. The content remains completely aligned with the GRESB Standards; what changed is the accessibility and clarity of guidance.
This section summarizes the location of legacy guidance materials in GRESB Guides. To identify the exact location of key information, GRESB strongly recommends using the search bar at the top of the screen.
Tip: Filter your search for "Only the current section" to generate more precise results.
Where can I find familiar resources in GRESB Guides?
Indicator reporting instructions
Reference Guide
Completing GRESB Assessments > Indicator Page
Indicator validation requirements
Reference Guide
Completing GRESB Assessments > Indicator Page
Indicator scoring
Scoring Document
Completing GRESB Assessments > Indicator Page
Reporting scope requirements
Reference Guide Introduction
Getting Started > Assessment Structure and Scope
Assessment structure
Reference Guide Introduction
Getting Started > Assessment Structure and Scope
Tecnical FAQs
Standalone PDF
Completing GRESB Assessments > Indicator Page
Asset Spreadsheet Instructions and Data Dictionary tabs
Asset Spreadsheet
Completing GRESB Assessments > Indicator Page
Estimation rules
Reference Guide Appendix
Completing GRESB Assessments > Supporting Information
Validation information
Reference Guide Appendix
Completing GRESB Assessments > Supporting Information
Indicator summary guide
Standalone PDF
Completing GRESB Assessments > Aspect and Indicator Pages
Standard updates and GRESB Foundation Roadmap
Standalone PDFs
Getting Started > GRESB Standards
How to Read your Benchmark Report
Standalone PDF
Leveraging your Data > Results Insights
Pre-Defined & Customized Peer Group methodology
Standalone PDF / GRESB website
Leveraging your Data > Results Insights
Score Contribution
GRESB website
Leveraging your Data > Results Insights
Asset Analytics, Portfolio Analysis Tool (PAT), Carbon Footprint Dashboard (CFD)
GRESB website / Training platform
Leveraging your Data > Asset and Portfolio Analysis
Data Exporter
GRESB website
Leveraging your Data > Data Management
Guidance Clarifications
General Clarifications
Language Clarity
Modified content for grammatical correctness and consistency, and updated terminology where needed to improve clarity across the site
Indicator Intents
Refreshed indicator intent sections to ensure they remain aligned with the goals of the GRESB Standards
Performance Metric Scoring
Improved the read-ability of performance metric (e.g., data coverage, energy performance, like-for-like) scoring explanations
Specific Indicator Clarifications
Note that the table below does not include editorial improvements.
Management Component
Verification/Assurance of Sustainability Data
RP1
Clarified that, while assurance/verification of sustainability disclosure should cover all sustainability information, GRESB will only seek to confirm that the third-party review covers a single sustainability topic.
Integrated Report Definition
RP1
Expanded the definition of an integrated report to include CSRD-aligned reports when conditions are met.
Third-Party Independence
RP1
Defined third-party independence in the context of data review, which will be manually validated for a random sample of participants.
Policy Evidence
PO1-3
Expanded upon evidence exemption criteria for scenarios in which policies remain unchanged.
Employee Training
SE1
Clarified that the percentage of employees should capture those who participated in training. Refined the definitions of professional and sustainability-related training.
Third-Party Surveys
SE2
Refined the "Independent third-party" definition in the context of satisfaction survey administration.
Survey Coverage
SE2
Amended the survey coverage calculation instructions to only consider individuals who could have received a survey (i.e., the number of potential recipients at the time of survey administration).
Employee Coverage
SE4
Clarified that the coverage percentage must reflect the number of checks carried out, regardless of whether an option was given for the workplace to be checked.
Embodied Carbon
RM4.2
Included explanations and examples to clarify the relevance of embodied carbon assessment across different contexts.
Climate-Related Risk Management
RM6.1-6.4
Clarified that the open text boxes are considered during manual evidence validation.
Performance Component
Ownership
R1
Clarified that ownership percentage should reflect the last day the asset was held during the reporting year.
Reporting Scope Evidence
R1
Clarified that R1 evidence only needs to display ownership-weighted floor area when participants use GRESB's provided template.
Reporting Characteristics
R1
Noted that participants must set an assets status as "Standing Investment" for the current and previous reporting year if the entity wishes to report performance data before acquisition.
Third-Party Independence
MR1-4
Defined third-party independence in the context of data review, which will be manually validated for a random sample of participants.
Third-Party Surveys
TC2.1
Refined the "Independent third-party" definition in the context of satisfaction survey administration.
Survey Coverage
TC2.1
Amended the survey coverage calculation instructions to only consider individuals who could have received a survey (i.e., the number of potential recipients at the time of survey administration).
Green Lease Portfolio Coverage
TC4
Specified that participants should calculate portfolio coverage based on floor area.
Technical Building Assessments
RA2
Highlighted that indicator RA2 does not require evidence, reducing uncertainty about documentation expectations.
Efficiency Measures
RA3-5
Clarified that, while efficiency measures implemented during development fall within the scope of RA3-5, they must relate to assets that are now operational.
Target Types
T1.1
Added definitions and examples to differentiate absolute, intensity-based, and like-for-like targets.
Target End Year
T1.1
Corrected the minimum allowable end year for long-term targets (i.e., reporting year +1 year).
Science-Based Targets
T1.2
Amended the "science-based target" definition to correct an inaccuracy that did not properly reflect the Paris agreement language (which is to aim to keep warming well below 2°C, pursuing 1.5°C).
Outdoor & Renewable Energy
EN1
Clarified that outdoor renewable energy contributes to total energy consumption and must be reported accordingly.
Energy Intensity Calculation
EN1
Outlined which energy values are included or excluded from energy intensity calculations.
Like-for-Like Scoring
EN1 / GH1 / WT1
Specified that GRESB assesses like-for-like eligibility at the sub-space level (i.e., only space(s) within assets that meet the criteria are eligible).
Waste Diversion
WS1
Elaborated upon waste diversion scoring methodology. Noted that participants should report compost as "Recycling."
Building Certification
BC1
Clarified the scope of BC1.1 and BC1.2, noting that participants cannot report certifications that expired before the reporting year.
Development Component
New Construction Scope
DR1
Noted that participants should not report any performance data prior to an asset's New Construction start date, since the portal will not consider it.
Embodied Carbon
DMA2
Expanded upon evidence requirements and examples. Clarified which fields relate specifically to development projects completed during the reporting year.
Net Zero Code/Standard
DEN2.2
Clarified that participants should calculate the percentage of projects covered based on floor area. Included examples of acceptable Net Zero standards.
Green Building Certifications - Development
DBC1.2
Clarified timing conditions for reporting certifications obtained or registered after project completion. Clarified that the % coverage field is not scored.
Residential Component
Community Safety
RES3
Clarified that the indicator applies to implemented measures, not measures that were only identified.
Enabling Upgrade Works
RES6
Amended the "Enabling Upgrade Works" definition to capture lease agreements that allow landlords to carry out upgrade works.
Other
Component Selection
RC5
Clarified that RC5 (Nature of Entity's Business) does not change component selection from a technical standpoint.
Component Scope
Reporting Scope & Boundaries
Clarified that once a component is selected, all owned assets within that component must be reported.
Outlined examples of what must be included and excluded from the reporting scope. (e.g., financial lease assets, manufactured homes)
Waste Estimation
Estimation Rules
Clarified treatment of waste data when shared bins prevent asset-level attribution.
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