DRE1: Sustainability Strategy During Development
Maximum Score
4 points
Input Method
Assessment Portal
Prefill
Eligible
Scoring method
Static
Validation
Evidence and other answer are manually validated
2026 Updates
None
Does the entity have a sustainability strategy in place for development projects?
Assessment Instructions
Intent: What is the purpose of this indicator?
This indicator assesses the entity’s sustainability strategy for development projects. A well-defined sustainability strategy for development projects helps organizations to identify material issues and focus areas during the different phases of these projects.
Input: How do I complete this indicator?
Select yes or no. If yes, select all applicable sub-options.
Open text box: The content of this open text box is not used for scoring, but will be included in the Benchmark Report. Participants should use this open text box to communicate on:
Specific description of the strategy, objectives, and approach.
The strategy should be applied at the entity level and address the elements selected from the list.
Scope of implementation (e.g., all projects, some projects, select demonstrations).
Terminology
Biodiversity and habitat
Issues related to wildlife, endangered species, ecosystem services, habitat management, and relevant topics. Biodiversity refers to the variety of all plant and animal species. Habitat refers to the natural environment in which these plant and animal species live and function.
Building safety
Environmental issues with the potential to create or exacerbate risks to human safety. Examples of building safety topics include fire safety, structural safety, and electrical and gas safety during development. Building safety strategies can include, but are not limited to, having site inspections at key construction milestones, having a reporting system in place for recording building safety observations, and having designated personnel to oversee building safety compliance during development.
Climate change adaptation
Preparation for long-term change in climatic conditions or climate related events. Examples of climate change adaptation measures can include, but are not limited to: building flood defenses, xeriscaping and using tree species resistant to storms and fires, adapting building codes to extreme weather events.
Embodied carbon
Refers to emissions that arise from producing, procuring and installing the materials and components that make up a structure. It may also include the lifetime emissions from maintenance, repair, replacement and ultimately demolition and disposal.
Energy consumption
The use of energy by the entity.
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.
Greenhouse gas emissions
GHGs refers to the seven gases listed in the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard: carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). They are expressed in CO2 equivalents (CO2e).
Green building certification
Recognition that a project has satisfied the requirements of a green building rating system. A certificate typically indicates the name and location of the project, version of the rating system, date of certification and level of recognition.
Health and well-being
“Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO). Health & well-being is impacted by genetics and individual behavior as well as environmental conditions. Particularly relevant to GRESB stakeholders are the social determinants of health, which are the “conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.” These are the conditions that enable or discourage healthy living. This could include issues such as physical activity, healthy eating, equitable workplaces, maternity and paternity leave, access to healthcare, reduction in toxic exposures, etc.
Indoor environmental quality
Refers to the conditions inside the building. It includes air quality, access to daylight and views, pleasant acoustic conditions and occupant control over lighting and thermal comfort.
Lifecycle assessments
Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs, and the potential environmental impacts of materials and components that make up a structure, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to final disposal.
Location and transportation
Location of a building in relation to pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit networks, and existing infrastructure and amenities in the surrounding area.
Material sourcing
Responsible sourcing of materials considers the environmental, social and economic impacts of the procurement and production of products and materials.
Net-zero/carbon-neutral design
Reduce the carbon emissions associated with all aspects of the project. This would include the operating energy as well as the construction and materials, and additionally the carbon associated with the commercial, institutional or residential use of the building by the occupants.
Pollution prevention
Any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution. Pollution includes air pollution, noise pollution, light pollution, thermal pollution, land/soil pollution, and water/marine pollution (including groundwater, wastewater, and stormwater). Smoking and/tobacco policy is not a pollution prevention policy/strategy.
Renewable energy
Any source of energy that can be used without depleting its reserves including sun, wind, water or Earth’s core using technologies available on-site, such as photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, transpired solar collectors, solar hot water heaters, solar thermal energy, small-scale hydroelectric power plants, geothermal energy, landfill gas.
Resilience to catastrophe/disaster
Preparedness of the built environment towards existing and future threats of natural disaster (e.g., the ability to absorb disturbances such as increased precipitation or flooding while maintaining its structure). This can be achieved by management policies, informational technologies, educating tenants, communities, suppliers and physical measures at the asset level.
Site selection and land use
Encourage the use of previously occupied or contaminated land. Encourage development on land that already has limited value to wildlife and to protect existing ecological features from substantial damage during site preparation and completion of construction works.
Sustainable procurement
Encourage, facilitate or require the reduction of consumption of goods within the building or premises and/or the sourcing of sustainable or ethical goods. Clauses can relate to reduction of paper consumption, supply of biodegradable materials, use of recycled paper, building materials, etc.
Waste management
Issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation, reuse, recycling, composting, recovery, incineration, landfill and on-site storage.
Water consumption
The use of water resources by the entity.
Validation: What evidence is required?
Evidence
The evidence provided will be subject to manual validation.
The provided evidence must cover the following elements:
Existence of a sustainability strategy specifically for how the entity addresses Sustainability-linked issues during the design and construction of development projects. A general sustainability strategy that is not clearly and specifically applicable to development projects is insufficient and not applicable.
Clearly demonstrated strategies and/or policies on all selected issues.
If applicable, the availability of the information to the public.
Other Answer
The other answer(s) provided will be subject to manual validation.
State the other sustainability elements included in the strategy. Ensure that the ‘other’ element is not a duplicate of the provided list of elements (e.g., LEED or BREEAM when 'Green building certifications' was selected). It is possible to add multiple other answers.
Scoring
Scoring: How does GRESB score this indicator?
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.
Evidence: The evidence is manually validated and assigned a multiplier, according to the table below. The evidence must support the validation requirements.
If any requirements are not met, the evidence may be partially accepted or not accepted depending on the level of alignment with the requirements.
Accepted
2/2
Partially Accepted
1/2
Not Accepted
0
Other: The 'Other' answer is manually validated and assigned a score which is used as a multiplying factor, as per the table below:
Accepted
1/1
Not Accepted
0
Duplicate
0
Open text box: The open text box is not scored and is for reporting purposes only.
References
LEED BD+C: New Construction v4, Sustainable Sites, Location and Transportation
BREEAM International New Construction, 2016
Get Support: Solution Providers
GRESB Solution Providers are independent, third-party organizations within the GRESB Partner network that offer specialized products, tools, and services to support sustainability performance outside the GRESB Assessment process.
The organizations below deliver commercially available solutions designed to help drive improvement for this indicator. Engagement is managed directly between the reporting entity and the Solution Provider.
GRESB will continue to update this section as the GRESB Solution Provider network grows. Please check back regularly to find GRESB Solution Providers who can support your sustainability performance.
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