Articles

Articles on ESG best practices and relevant sustainability topics from GRESB and our Members and Partners.

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  • Articles

    Net Zero Buildings: Leaders in Energy, Carbon, Water and Waste

    A new report from the Energy Transitions Commission, a group of global leaders from across the energy landscape, reinforces that a net zero economy by 2050 is technically and economically possible. The report points to the need for electrification and urges governments, investors, and companies to accelerate the adoption of zero-carbon solutions now. That includes […]

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  • Articles

    Why is net zero important and how is it defined?

    Why is net zero important: As air quality sharply declines in the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeast faces repeated flooding from an already active hurricane season, we see glimpses of climate change exacerbating natural disasters. The globe has already warmed by about 1°C, creating moderate risk from climate change under certain forecasted scenarios. According to […]

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  • Articles

    The Path to Net Zero

    The connection between climate change and extreme weather is increasingly evident with the expansive wildfires in the Western United States, serving as a grim preview of what a 2°C+ warmer world could look like. Climate data shows that the world has already warmed on average by just over 1°C since preindustrial times and our current […]

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  • Articles

    Understanding the target for zero carbon emissions by 2050 and taking action in the future

    These days, we do not have to prove the importance of including ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria in Real Estate Companies’ overall business strategy, whether that is to send a positive message to investors or to properly satisfy the expectations of stakeholders, like employees or clients. Furthermore, the real estate sector is responsible for […]

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  • Articles

    Target Setting and Buildings: Towards a Net-Zero Future

    Setting carbon emissions reduction targets is nothing new. Many companies, including the real estate sector, have already developed many targets and goals in contribution to limit global warming. Also, the conventional target of limiting warming to 2oC is not enough. As the scientific community always emphasizes, to limit global warming to 1.5oC, achieving net-zero global […]

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  • Articles

    Net zero cooperation

    “The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation.” Bertrand Russell. In the battle against the climate crisis, the term ‘net zero carbon’ (NZC) is ubiquitous. Following many years of increasing carbon policy, voluntary action and international cooperation – as well as public interest spurred on by high profile activism – everyone talking about NZC […]

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  • Articles

    Planning for Net Zero: Getting Started

    Net Zero has come into focus in 2020 as the key sustainability objective for many Commercial Real Estate organizations, even with the backdrop of COVID-19 and related economic uncertainties. The reason is clear, with the UK’s commitment to Net-Zero by 2050, this theory has 30 years to become a reality. The sweeping changes required for […]

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  • Articles

    The carbdown is on! Which net zero scheme is the right one for you?

    Wake-up call The carbon clock is ticking…faster than most people think. The Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) has determined that the climate goal should not be 2050, as defined in the Paris Agreement, but now 2043 because the CO2 budget for staying below the crucial 1.5°C threshold will be exhausted […]

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  • Articles

    The Pathway to Carbon Reduction

    We’ve all read the news – corporations are taking the lead in addressing the climate crisis: BP will achieve net zero by 2050, Apple will be carbon neutral by 2030 and Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030. You may be wondering how companies choose between pledge platforms: how do they decide whether they want […]

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