Fundamentals Guidance

Fundamentals is a low-burden, focused approach for real estate firms to align with sustainability expectations, validate core management practices, and demonstrate progress—building clarity and credibility before committing to a GRESB Real Estate Assessment.

It focuses on 17 core management indicators aligned with the GRESB Real Estate Standard and recognized as good practice across the sector. Together, they establish a practical baseline for sustainability management and disclosure.

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How is the assessment organized?

Assessment Levels

Level	Description
Aspect	The Fundamentals Assessment is made up of several aspects, which group together related themes. For example, within the Governance aspect, there are indicators about sustainability leadership and decision-making.
Indicator	Indicators are specific, measurable questions used to assess performance within an aspect (e.g., “Does the entity have a sustainability taskforce or committee?”).

Entity & Reporting Characteristics [Not Scored]

Indicators	Topics	Max Score	Evidence
EC1-4	Entity Characteristics	Not scored	Not required
RRC1-6	Reporting Characteristics	Not scored	Not required

Commitments [1 Point]

Indicator	Topic	Max Score	Evidence
RLE1	Sustainability Commitments	Not scored	Required Not validated
RLE2	Sustainability Objectives	1 Point	Required

Governance [2 Points]

Indicator	Topic	Max Score	Evidence
RLE3	Sustainability Taskforce	1 Point	Not required
RLE4	Senior Decision Maker	1 Point	Not required

Policies [4.5 points]

Indicator	Topic	Max Score	Evidence
RPO1	Environmental Policies	1.5 Points	Required
RPO2	Social Policies	1.5 Points	Required
RPO3	Governance Policies	1.5 Points	Required

Risk Assessment [3.75 Points]

Indicator	Topic	Max Score	Evidence
RRM3.1	Social Risk Assessments	0.25 Points	Required
RRM3.2	Governance Risk Assessments	0.25 Points	Required
RRM4.1	Sustainability Due Diligence for New Acquisition	0.25 Points	Not required
RRA1	Risk Assessments	3 Points	Required

Stakeholder Engagement [5 Points]

Indicator	Topic	Max Score	Evidence
RSE6	Supply Chain Engagement Program	1.5 Points	Not required
RSE8	Stakeholder Grievance Process	0.5 Points	Not required
RTC1	Tenant Engagement Program	1 Point	Not required
RTC6.1	Community Engagement Program	2 Points	Not required

Monitoring [2 Points]

Indicator	Topic	Max Score	Evidence
RSE7.1	Monitoring Asset Managers	1 Point	Not required
RSE7.2	Monitoring External Providers	1 Point	Not required