GHG

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If ‘Yes’, provide context to support the interpretation of the entity’s responses to this aspect’s indicators.

Open text box: The content of this open text box is not used for scoring, but will be included in the Insights and Benchmark Reports. Participants should use this open text box to provide further details, context, or comments related to the subject.

Terminology

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Refers to the seven gases listed in the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

No evidence required.

This indicator assesses whether the entity has set a greenhouse gas emissions strategy and/or direction of travel, including the presence of short- and medium- to long-term targets and alignment with external voluntary frameworks. A clear strategy supports forward-looking management of carbon-related risks and opportunities, including regulatory and customer expectations.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

If applicable, select the framework with which the strategy is aligned.

• Green building or other building-related frameworks should be reported under “industry-agnostic framework(s).”

• Government frameworks reported should only include non-binding frameworks established by government bodies. Legislative frameworks fall outside the scope of this category.

• Other: State the other framework with which the strategy is aligned. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of a selected option above.

Open text box: The content of this open text box is not used for scoring, but will be included in the Insights and Benchmark Reports. Participants should use this open text box to provide further details, context, or comments related to the subject.

Terminology

External voluntary framework(s)

Non-mandatory standards, guidelines, or initiatives developed by external organizations to guide greenhouse gas emissions management and reduction.

Governmental framework(s)

Non-binding guidelines or initiatives established by government bodies to support greenhouse gas emissions management.

Industry-agnostic framework(s)

Frameworks that are intended to be applied across multiple sectors and are not specific to one industry.

Industry-specific framework(s)

Frameworks tailored to a the data center sector, addressing industry-specific greenhouse gas emissions sources and reduction approaches.

Objectives

Actionable goals arising from policies that an entity sets itself to achieve. Objectives should be quantifiable and correlated with the entity's ambitions. In turn, they determine targets, which are detailed performance requirements necessary to achieve the objectives.

Sustainability objectives

Strategic priorities and key topics for the management and/or improvement of sustainability, resilience, and efficiency issues.

Sustainability strategy

Strategy which (1) sets out the participant’s procedures and (2) sets the direction and guidance for the entity’s implementation of sustainability measures.

Targets

Specific, measurable performance goals set to achieve an objective. Targets define the expected level of progress, result, or improvement within a stated timeframe.

No evidence required.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the sum of the fractions assigned to the selected options and respective sub-options, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.

This indicator examines whether the entity has implemented structured greenhouse gas emissions management practices to deliver its strategy. Effective governance, clear accountability, established policies, performance monitoring, and corrective action processes demonstrate the entity’s ability to proactively manage emissions and translate commitments into consistent and measurable outcomes.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

Other: State the other practices used to manage greenhouse gas emissions. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of a selected option above.

Terminology

Communication protocol

Formally established processes for sharing relevant information.

Corrective action

Corrective action in the context of safety refers to the systematic steps taken to eliminate the root causes of safety incidents, hazards, or non-compliance issues to prevent their recurrence. It typically involves investigating the underlying causes, implementing specific measures to address deficiencies, and monitoring the effectiveness of these measures to ensure lasting improvement in workplace safety performance.

Day-to-day implementation responsibility

The assigned responsibility for carrying out, managing, and monitoring the regular activities needed to put a policy, program, or process into practice.

Dedicated employee(s) on sustainability issues

Employee(s) whose primary responsibility is defining, implementing and monitoring the sustainability objectives at entity level.

External

Individuals or groups outside the reporting entity who influence or are influenced by its activities or decisions (e.g., investors, customers/tenants, communities).

Internal

Individuals or groups within the reporting entity who directly contribute to, oversee, or are affected by its operations and decisions (e.g., employees, leadership, contractors working under the organization's direction).

Policy

A policy is an organizational commitment, direction or intention that is formally adopted by the organization. It may serve the purpose of:

1. Outlining rules and procedures

2. Providing principles that guide action

3. Setting roles and responsibilities

4. Describing values and beliefs

5. Stating an intention to act or achieve defined goals and/or company vision

Mechanisms for evaluation and corrective action

Processes used to review greenhouse gas emissions performance and implement changes or improvements where needed.

Risk assessment

Careful examination of the factors that could potentially adversely impact the value or longevity of a data center. The results of the assessment assist in identifying measures that have to be implemented in order to prevent and mitigate the risks.

Risk evaluation

Comparing risk analysis results with risk criteria to determine whether the residual risk is tolerable.

Senior decision-maker responsible for sustainability-related issues

A senior individual with sign off (approval) authority for approving strategic sustainability objectives and steps undertaken to achieve these objectives. The responsible person oversees day-to-day execution, coordinates relevant stakeholders, and ensures progress towards define sustainability goals, but does not hold final-sign off authority for approving strategic decisions.

System(s) for performance measurement, data management, and reporting

The processes, tools, and systems used to collect, manage, analyze, and report energy-related data. These systems enable the monitoring of energy performance, tracking of targets, identification of trends, and disclosure of energy information to support decision-making and accountability.

Evidence

The evidence provided will be subject to manual validation.

The evidence should support each of the selected practices. The provided evidence must ensure the following:

1. Senior decision-maker vs. day-to-day responsibility: If the same person is selected for both “a senior decision-maker or executive with end responsibility” and “one or more persons with responsibility for day-to-day implementation,” the evidence must explicitly state that this person both signs off on the greenhouse gas emissions approach and oversees its implementation on a day-to-day basis.

2. Policy: The evidence must demonstrate the existence of a formal policy document that addresses greenhouse gas emissions, and not simply a list of general goals and/or commitments. A policy is a guide for action and may serve the purpose of:

   • outlining rules and procedures;

   • providing principles that guide action;

   • setting roles and responsibilities;

   • describing values and beliefs;

   • stating an intention to act or achieve defined goals and/or company vision.

   Acceptable evidence may include, but is not limited to, a greenhouse gas emissions policy, official internal documents, or links to online resources describing the entity’s greenhouse gas emissions policy. References such as bullet points or extracts from the policy may be provided to show the relevant sections. Where overarching policy documents cover multiple issues, the evidence must clearly identify the section(s) relevant to greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Systems for performance measurement, data management, and reporting: The evidence must demonstrate a systematic process used to measure, manage, and report greenhouse gas emissions performance data. This may include tools, systems, dashboards, registers, or other formal processes used for tracking and reporting greenhouse gas emissions information.

4. Internal and external communication protocols: The evidence must demonstrate the process used to communicate material greenhouse gas emissions information internally and, where relevant, externally. If a policy is in place, what matters here is not only the existence of the policy, but also the communication channels or protocols used to share relevant greenhouse gas emissions information with the appropriate stakeholders.

5. Mechanisms for evaluation and corrective action: The evidence must demonstrate the method used to review greenhouse gas emissions performance and address identified issues. This may include incident investigation processes, corrective action plans, audits, root-cause analysis, escalation procedures, or other methods used to respond to incidents, accidents, breaches, or non-compliance.

Other Answer

The other answer(s) provided will be subject to manual validation.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the fraction assigned to the selected option, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.

Evidence: For selections subject to manual validation, the validation status acts as a multiplier to determine that selection's final score.

If any requirements are not met, the evidence may not be accepted, depending on the level of alignment with the requirements.

Other: The 'Other' answer is manually validated and assigned a score, which is used as a multiplying factor, as per the table below:

​Scoring Basics

This indicator identifies whether the entity can report on actions implemented during the reporting year to reduce or manage greenhouse gas emissions. Reporting on implementation demonstrates progress from strategy to execution and helps stakeholders understand how the entity is responding to emissions-related risks and expectations.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

Other: State the other actions that are part of the entity's greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of a selected option above.

Control-Weighted

Control: The extent to which the reporting entity has the authority and ability to (i) implement actions and/or (ii) influence and collect performance measurement outcomes for a given sustainability topic.

Control-Weighted Score: GRESB provides a Control-Weighted Score as a supplementary score in the Insights Report. This score adjusts results based on the entity’s level of control over the indicators, illustrating how the GRESB Base Score changes when control is taken into account.

Scoring Basics

Terminology

Distributed energy resource participation

Participation in decentralized energy systems or programs (e.g., demand response or load flexibility) to reduce emissions.

Fuel switching

The replacement of higher-emission fuels with lower-emission alternatives to reduce emissions per unit of energy consumed.

Fugitive emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from intentional or unintentional releases, such as methane during transport of natural gas and HFC emissions from refrigeration equipment.

Greenhouse gas emissions reduction actions

Specific measures implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the entity’s strategy.

Market based emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity consumption, calculated based on the emissions from the energy sources that the entity contractually purchases.

Off-site electricity procurement / contractual instrument

The purchase of electricity or associated contractual instruments (e.g., power purchase agreements or energy attribute certificates) to reduce market-based emissions, where the environmental attributes are contractually allocated to the entity.

On-site (behind-the-meter) energy generation

Energy produced at a property or facility for direct use by that site, rather than purchased from an external supplier or delivered through the public utility grid.. For example, solar PV-generated electricity.

Refrigerant management

Practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerants, including leakage prevention, monitoring, and the use of lower-impact alternatives.

No evidence required.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the sum of the fractions assigned to the selected options and respective sub-options, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.

This indicator assesses whether the entity can measure and report greenhouse gas emissions performance during the reporting year, including the extent of data coverage and whether reported data is externally reviewed.

Performance metrics help track the success of strategies and actions against the entity’s direction of travel and targets, demonstrating that the entity is actively monitoring emissions and progress toward its goals.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

• Selecting 'Yes' to the indicator will require reporting a value for at least the required metrics (Scope 1 and Scope 2). The remaining metrics (Scope 3) are optional.

• The GHG consolidation approach refers to the method an organization uses to consolidate its greenhouse gas emissions and consistently apply this method to define which entities and assets are included in Scope 1 and Scope 2.

• Other: State the other Scope 3 emissions that the entity monitors and for which it can report quantitative performance data. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of the selected option above.

External Review

Select 'Yes' or 'No': If “Yes,” specify the highest level of scrutiny applied to the submitted data (checked or verified/assured). If “verified/assured” is selected, indicate whether the review covered all or a subset of the data and provide supporting evidence.

Control-Weighted

Control: The extent to which the reporting entity has the authority and ability to (i) implement actions and/or (ii) influence and collect performance measurement outcomes for a given sustainability topic.

Control-Weighted Score: GRESB provides a Control-Weighted Score as a supplementary score in the Insights Report. This score adjusts results based on the entity’s level of control over the indicators, illustrating how the GRESB Base Score changes when control is taken into account.

Scoring Basics

Terminology

Equity share

In the context of GHG calculation, an approach in which the organization accounts for greenhouse gas emissions according to its share of equity in an operation.

External review

Individuals or groups outside the reporting entity who influence or are influenced by its activities or decisions (e.g., investors, customers/tenants, communities).

Externally assured

Applies to instances where a third party has reviewed the data against an existing scheme.

Externally checked

Applies to instances when a third party has reviewed the data in a structured and consistent process, but no official certification has been awarded.

Externally verified

Applies to instances where a third party has reviewed the data against an existing scheme.

Financial control

In the context of GHG emission calculation, an approach in which the organization accounts for 100% of the GHG emissions over which it has financial control. It does not account for GHG emissions from operations it owns equity in but does not have financial control over.

• The organization has financial control over the operation if it can direct the operation's financial and operating policies with a view to gaining economic benefits from the operation's activities.

• The organization may have financial control over the operation even if it has less than a 50 percent equity in that operation.

GHG consolidation approach

The method used to define which operations and assets are included when accounting for greenhouse gas emissions.

Location-based emissions

A method to calculate Scope 2 emissions based on the average emissions intensity of the electricity grid where energy is consumed (e.g., emissions calculated using grid-average emission factors, regardless of renewable energy procurement). Emission factors are often defined using geographic locations. These can be based on local, subnational, or national boundaries.

Market-based emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity consumption, calculated based on the emissions from the energy sources that the entity contractually purchases.

Operational control

In the context of GHG emission calculation, an approach in which the organization accounts for 100% of the GHG emissions over which it has operational control. It does not account for GHG emissions from operations it owns equity in but does not have operational control over.

• An organization accounts for 100 percent of emissions from operations over which it or one of its subsidiaries has operational control.

• Generally, if the organization is the operator of a facility, it will have the full authority to introduce and implement its operating policies and thus has operational control.

Scope 1 emissions

Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions that occur from sources owned or controlled by the entity (e.g., emissions from backup generators or refrigerant leakage in cooling systems). These are the emissions that an organization has the most direct control over and are typically the first priority in carbon reduction strategies.

Scope 2 emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from the generation of purchased or acquired electricity, heating, cooling, or steam consumed by the entity (e.g., emissions associated with electricity used to power servers and cooling systems).

While the organization doesn't directly produce these emissions, they result from the energy the organization buys and uses, making them an important component of corporate carbon footprints that can be reduced through energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement.

Scope 3 emissions

Scope 3 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in an organization's value chain but are not owned or directly controlled by the organization, excluding Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (e.g., emissions from the production of servers and equipment or upstream transportation).

• Scope 3 emissions are those associated with tenant areas, unless they are already reported as Scope 1 or Scope 2 emissions (if they cannot be disassociated from emissions from other areas). Scope 3 emissions do not include emissions generated through the entity’s operations or by its employees, transmission losses, or upstream supply chain emissions.

Scope 3 categories

Evidence

The evidence provided will be subject to manual validation.

The provided evidence must:

1. Confirm the existence of the third-party energy data review.

2. Confirm the type of third-party review (checked, verified, or assured), and a formal statement with the verification or assurance standard used (when applicable).

3. Prove that the energy consumption data review was performed for the reporting entity's underlying facilities.

4. Demonstrate that the data assurer/verifier is an independent third party to the reporting entity (when applicable).

5. Ongoing Verification/Assurance: If verification/assurance for the current reporting year is in the process but has not yet been finalized, evidence documents from the previous year are acceptable if it is explicitly stated that the process is still ongoing at the submission date.

6. First-Time Verification/Assurance: For entities undergoing data assurance or verification for the first time, GRESB accepts a confirmation from the auditor indicating that assurance or verification is in progress and valid for the respective reporting year. The confirmation letter must specify the standard against which the data is assured or verified. All other validation requirements remain applicable.

7. Non-Alignment of Reporting Years: If verification/assurance does not align with the chosen reporting year, e.g., data assurance is calendar year, but GRESB reporting is fiscal year, two verification statements are needed to ensure that 100% of the data reported was verified/assured.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the fraction assigned to the selected option, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.

Evidence: For selections subject to manual validation, the validation status acts as a multiplier to determine that selection's final score.

If any requirements are not met, the evidence may not be accepted, depending on the level of alignment with the requirements.

Other: The 'Other' answer is manually validated and assigned a score, which is used as a multiplying factor, as per the table below:

​Scoring Basics