2026 Standard Updates

Introduction

Following the GRESB Standards Development Process, the GRESB Foundation has reviewed and approved updates to the GRESB Real Estate Standard for 2026. This year’s process was carried out in accordance with the Principles for Governing Standards Development, published in July 2025, reinforcing a transparent and predictable multi-year approach to Standards development.

In line with these principles, most of the 2026 Standard updates were already published in the 2025 Standard Updates page. This approach gives the industry an extended timeline to anticipate changes and prepare for potential impacts on GRESB Scores—enhancing predictability and planning certainty.

Exceptions to this approach are limited to updates with minimal or no scoring impact, or to cases where clarifications were necessary to resolve interpretation issues or ensure methodological consistency.

Delivering on the commitment announced in last year’s document, GRESB provides all participants with a 2026 Standards Methodology Insights report, offering illustrative insights into the potential impact of the 2026 Standard updates based on previously reported information. This report helps participants assess and plan for future performance outcomes.

Beyond the 2026 updates presented here, the GRESB Foundation has also advanced several workstreams focused on the future evolution of the Real Estate Standard. In particular, extensive development work has been undertaken this year to define a clear roadmap for transitioning toward a performance-based scoring framework. This work will be introduced in the GRESB Foundation Roadmap (here) and will be subject to a public consultation in early 2026. It is expected that the 2027 Standard will remain largely stable and comparable to the 2026 Standard.

As an industry-led initiative, GRESB is committed to listening and responding to industry feedback. If you would like to provide feedback on the 2026 Standard updates or beyond, please contact us at gresb.com/contact.

Summary of Updates

Click on each indicator code for detailed information about the summarized updates below.

Topic	Component	Indicator	Description	Reporting Impact	Validation Impact	Scoring Impact
Embodied Carbon	Performance	TC3	Increase in max score from 1.5p to 2.5p, with the additional 1p allocated to the sustainability topics covered in the program.	None
Embodied Carbon	Performance	TC4	Increase max score from 1.5p to 2.5p, with the additional 1p (re)allocated to elements of data sharing & metering clause of the green lease.	None
Embodied Carbon	Development	DMA2	Introduction of scoring weight (5p): 3p for measurement (based on % of measured projects), 2p for disclosure (validated manually).	Participants must upload evidence to support embodied carbon disclosure.
Embodied Carbon	Development	DWS1	Restructured to elevate end-of-life treatment (module C) of building materials. Scoring weights reassigned; total weight unchanged.	Participants must identify end-oflife materials treatment in a new section.
Net Zero Targets	Performance	TC1.2	Refinement of existing fields and introduction of asset-level flagging to strengthen credibility and interoperability of net-zero targets. Removed ability to report multiple targets per entity.	Participants must complete new fields and flag which asset(s) are captured by the target.
Indicator Retirement & Reweighting	Management	LE3	Sustainability objectives indicator removed.	Reduced reporting burden.
Indicator Retirement & Reweighting	Management	RM6.1-6.4	Max scores of “Climate-Related Risk Indicators” increase from 0.5 to 1 point (per indicator).	None
Indicator Retirement & Reweighting	Management	SE2.2	Employee engagement indicator removed.	Reduced reporting burden.
Indicator Retirement & Reweighting	Management	SE5	Max score of “Human Capital” indicator increases from 0.5 to 1.5 points.	None
Indicator Retirement & Reweighting	Performance	RA2-5	Max score decreases: RA2: From RA3: From 1.5p to 0.5p RA4: From 1p to 0.25p RA5: From 0.5p t 0.25p	None
Indicator Retirement & Reweighting	Residential	RES6	Max score of "Lease Contracts" indicator increases from 1.5p to 3.5p.	None
Building Certifications	Performance	BC1	Revised timeline for implementing ongoing developments of building certifications to 2028 for consistency with other revisions.	None
Human Capital	Management	SE5	New “Other” gender option.	Participants may report additional gender identities.
Climate Resilience	Management	RM5	Updated climate scenarios to reflect most recent NGFS data and discontinuation of the 2°C scenario from CRREM.	Participants may select the most recent climate scenarios.
Renewable Energy	Performance	EN1	Introduction of two renewable energy procurement types.	Participants may select financial/ virtual PPA and/or unbundled EACs as procurement types.
GHG Emissions	Performance	GH1	Reclassification of GHG emissions from landlord-controlled tenant spaces (from Scope 3 to Scope 1-2) in alignment with GHG Protocol.	Participants must reclassify current and previous emissions (if needed).		*
Local Infrastructure	Residential	RES2	Introduction of separate selection boxes for “walkability” and “livability."	Participants monitoring only one of the two options are now able to report appropiately.
Lease Contracts	Residential	RES6	Clarification that sustainability elements may exist in lease contracts or related appendices (not both).	None
Aggregation Model	Performance	All	Adjusted aggregation model to account for asset-specific ownership periods for improved accuracy.	None		*
Estimation Guidelines	Performance	All	Clarified estimation rules regarding energy utility type to ensure consistent application.	Participants must correct previously non-compliant estimation practices (if needed).

*In select cases

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Embodied Carbon

TC3, TC4, DMA2, and DWS1

Background & Purpose

Embodied carbon represents a very significant portion of a building’s whole life cycle footprint. As a result, this topic has been a key focus for the GRESB Foundation in recent years, leading to a series of developments for the Standard across multiple years.

Description

The 2025 Standard saw several non-scored developments aiming to make embodied carbon more prominent in the Standard across all three Components. Updates included a review of existing indicators, the introduction of new indicators, and the addition of new validation requirements. As announced in November 2024, these developments are now scored in the 2026 Standard, impacting both the Performance and Development Components (see overview table and indicator designs below).

In line with the Standard’s strategic direction towards performance-based scoring, the GRESB Foundation approved a shift from portfolio-level to asset-level reporting for upfront carbon emissions from 2027 onwards. This change is intended to ensure that quantitative measurements are assessed within their appropriate context (e.g., sector, location), enabling more accurate performance evaluation and reward in subsequent versions of the Standard. This shift is intended to be implemented through the introduction of four new data entry fields at the asset level, including:

• Scope of upfront carbon measurement

• Upfront carbon emission value

• Percentage of EPDs coverage (or equivalent)

• Any upfront carbon offsets (optional)

Reporting Impact

No reporting impact in 2026. From 2027, there will be a requirement for participants to report upfront carbon measurement values of their development projects at the asset level (Development Component).

Scoring Impact

In 2026, the expected impact on participants’ scores in the Standing Investments Benchmark ranges between -2p and 2p, with an average increase of ~0.1p. Similar impact analysis was conducted for the Development Benchmark, where the expected impact on participants’ scores ranges between -8p and 0p, with an average decrease of ~5.3p. The scoring impact analysis does not indicate a significant difference between predominant regions and sectors. No scoring impact is expected in 2027.

Future Development

Plans beyond 2027 include a further increase in the scoring weight of upfront carbon to strengthen incentives for measurement, together with a refinement of the scoring logic to introduce a reward mechanism for demonstrating measured (as opposed to estimated) upfront carbon values.

Overview of All Embodied Carbon Updates

Net Zero

TC1.2

Background & Purpose

Net zero continues to be the highest priority topic for development in the GRESB Standard. The GRESB Foundation has identified opportunities for enhancing the credibility of netzero targets set by participants along with the usability of the indicator data for investors

Description

The 2026 Standard includes three targeted updates:

1. Indicator T1.2 no longer allows multiple net-zero targets to be reported per entity, aligning with the reporting behavior of the vast majority of participants.

2. Participants can now flag which assets within their portfolios are included in their entity-level net zero targets, resulting in new output insight plotting targets against actual portfolio performance.

3. Refinement of existing fields in T1.2 to promote interoperability with evolving frameworks used by investors to contextualize progress toward net zero. For details on indicator design, see below.

Reporting Impact

In addition to the new fields available in indicator T1.2, participants are now required to flag which assets within their portfolios are included in their entity-level target reported.

Scoring Impact

No scoring impact in 2026 (aside from a weighting adjustment for indicator T1.2—see next section).

Future Development

Considering the importance of this topic for the GRESB Foundation, further refinements to this indicator are anticipated in the future.

Indicator Retirement & Weighting Shifts

LE3, SE2.2, RM6.1-4, SE5, RA2-5, T1.2. RES6

Background & Purpose

The GRESB Standard is continuously reviewed to ensure the materiality and relevance of its indicators. These reviews aim to reduce the reporting burden for participants and streamline the reporting process over time, while enabling the reallocation of points to higher-priority issues.

Description

As announced in November 2024, the 2026 Standard includes several adjustments, including the retirement of existing indicators no longer deemed relevant, and the adjustment of scoring weights to elevate performance expectations. These updates are as follows:

• Indicators retired: LE3, SE2.2

• Indicators with adjusted weights: RM6.1-4, SE5, RA2-5, T1.2, RES6

See the Overview Table & Impact analysis for a complete overview.

Reporting Impact

Small reduction in reporting burden through the complete retirement of two indicators.

Scoring Impact

In 2026, the expected impact on participants’ scores in the Standing Investments Benchmark ranges between -4p and 2.85p, with an average decrease of ~0.6p. The scoring impact analysis does not indicate a significant difference between predominant regions and sectors.

Future Development

The GRESB Foundation undertakes annual reviews of the Standard to further refine the reporting scope and enhance the efficiency of the process for participants. There are no indicator retirement or weighting adjustments for the 2027 Standard known to date. However, similar updates are targeted for the 2028 Standard (subject to the GRESB Real Estate Public Consultation).

See the Overview Table for a complete overview.

Building Certifications

BC1

Background & Purpose

Building certifications are considered by the GRESB Foundation to be an important area for development within the Standard. Given the topic’s breadth and complexity, it has been developed through a multi-year plan initiated in 2022.

In early 2024, the GRESB Foundation requested an assessment of the criteria used to evaluate certification schemes for recognition within the GRESB Standard. Following this review and a public consultation process held in mid-2024, revised criteria were developed to enhance the quality of certification schemes recognized in the Standard. The final Building Certification Evaluation Criteria were approved by the GRESB Foundation and published in December 2024.

From early 2025, the revised criteria have been applied to reassess building certifications recognized in the Standard, initially focusing on brand-related requirements. A rolling list of recognized brands is publicly available and updated monthly.

Description

To remain consistent with other significant updates targeted for implementation in the 2028 Standard, the timeline for updating the quality criteria applied to the reporting and scoring of building certifications has been revised to 2028.

Reporting Impact

No reporting impact in 2026 or 2027.

Scoring Impact

No scoring impact in 2026 or 2027.

Future Development

No additional developments relating to building certifications are known to date. However, this topic has been identified by the GRESB Foundation as an area for longer-term evolution of the Standard (subject to the GRESB Real Estate Public Consultation).

Technical Refinements

Reclassification of GHG Scope (GH1)

Background & Purpose

The 2025 Standard classifies GHG emissions from energy used in landlord-controlled tenant spaces as Scope 3. This classification is based on the location of energy consumption (within tenant-dedicated areas). This diverges from the GHG Protocol’s operational control approach, which attributes emissions based on who has the authority to introduce and implement operating policies.

This misalignment has caused confusion among members and required participants to reconcile differing scope treatments across frameworks.

Description

The 2026 Standard reclassifies GHG emissions from landlord-controlled tenant spaces as Scopes 1–2 and updates the reporting guidance and validation checks accordingly.

This update improves alignment with the GHG Protocol, restores appropriate incentives, and removes the need for reconciliation work across frameworks.

Reporting Impact

The vast majority of assets are not impacted by this update, as they do not include any energy consumption within landlord-controlled tenant spaces. A small proportion of operational assets (~3.1%) will be required to reclassify relevant GHG emissions from Scope 3 to Scopes 1–2 as part of their 2026 reporting, for both the current and previous reporting years. Going forward, this reclassification removes the need for unnecessary reconciliation work across frameworks (e.g., CDP, PCAF, EPRA).

Given the specific and limited scope of this update, GRESB plans targeted outreach to the relevant stakeholders as part of its external communication, as follows:

• Q4 2025: Participant Members affected by this reclassification, to help them prepare for their 2026 GRESB reporting.

• Q2 2026: Investor Members with access to the affected entities, to inform them of the reclassification reflected in the 2026 GRESB outputs.

Scoring Impact

The expected impact on participants’ scores in the Standing Investments Benchmark ranges between -2p and 2p, with an average increase of ~0.2p. The scoring impact is confined to a small portion of all assets reported (see above). No scoring impact in 2026 or 2027.

Future Development

None identified to date.

Ownership Period in Aggregation (All Performance Indicators)

Background & Purpose

The 2024 Standard made asset-level assessment a key criterion for performance indicators, enabling a more detailed and rigorous evaluation of sustainability practices.

As part of this update, the aggregation model was overhauled, resulting in limitations identified in specific scenarios where an asset was owned for less than a full reporting year.

Description

The 2026 Standard addresses this limitation by incorporating asset-specific ownership periods—along with several other factors—into the calculation of the weighting factor used in the aggregation model.

Reporting Impact

No reporting impact in 2026.

Scoring Impact

The scope of this inaccuracy is limited, since the vast majority of assets in the benchmark are held for most of the reporting year and therefore would not require adjustment. Overall, only about 2% of all assets are expected to be materially affected, highlighting the limited practical impact of this issue. The 2026 scoring impact will be restricted to those assets—owned for less than a full reporting year—and will be proportional to actual ownership duration.

Given the specific and limited scope of this update, GRESB plans targeted outreach to the relevant stakeholders as part of its external communication, as follows:

• Q2 2026: Participants and Investor Members with access to the affected entities, to inform them of the adjustment reflected in the 2026 GRESB outputs.

Future Development

None identified to date.

Estimation Guidelines

All Performance Indicators

Background & Purpose

The 2025 Standard provides general estimation guidelines to be followed when performance data is partially unavailable, ensuring consistent, credible, and fair reporting among participants (see here)

Member feedback indicated a potential risk of confusion in interpreting one condition in these guidelines—specifically regarding the requirement that estimated data must be of the same scope as the actual performance data used as a basis for estimation.

Description

Without changing their original intent, the estimation guidelines have been clarified in the 2026 Standard to ensure consistent application at the utility level.

• Old guidance: Estimation of asset-level data is only allowed when the available data covers the same performance aspect (Energy, GHG, Water, or Waste) and area type (Base Building, Tenant Spaces, or Whole Building).

• Revised guidance: Estimation of asset-level data is only allowed when the available data covers the same performance aspect (Energy, GHG, Water, or Waste), area type (Base Building, Tenant Spaces, or Whole Building), and utility type (for energy, this means fuels, electricity, and district heating and cooling).

Reporting Impact

Minimal reporting impact, if any, is expected in 2026. GRESB engaged with several managers and partners involved in asset-level data reporting and confirmed consistent application of the guidelines across the board. Any reporting impact would only occur where participants had not properly applied the previous estimation guidelines.

Scoring Impact

Limited to no scoring impact in 2026 (see above).

Future Development

None identified to date.

Additional Options in Renewable Energy Procurement Types

EN1

Background & Purpose

The 2025 Standard introduced asset-level data points necessary to capture the quality of renewable energy procurement: Procurement Type, Market-Based Claim, and two key dimensions of market-based electricity procurement—Proximity and Vintage.

Member feedback indicated that certain renewable energy procurement scenarios were not fully accommodated by the current list of options, leading to confusion for some participants and the need for workarounds during reporting (e.g., selecting “Mixed”).

Description

The 2026 Standard introduces two additional procurement types to the dropdown list in the GRESB Asset Spreadsheet and the GRESB Asset Portal (Energy section):

1. Financial Power Purchase Agreement (financial/virtual PPA)

2. Unbundled procurement of Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) Reporting guidance has been updated accordingly.

Reporting Impact

Improved usability and more accurate reporting for participants. No additional reporting burden in 2026.

Scoring Impact

No scoring impact in 2026

Future Development

Data collected in 2026 on this indicator will be reviewed to assess market readiness and inform future updates to the Standard. Any confirmed updates will be communicated to the industry in advance of implementation through future Standard Updates documents.

“Other” Gender Field

SE5

Background & Purpose

Indicator SE5 (Human Capital) collects data on gender ratios within an entity’s governance bodies and across all employees, along with the underlying percentages of personnel identifying as women and men.

Member feedback indicated that some organizations monitor gender identities beyond the traditional binary categories and wish to report these to GRESB.

Description

The 2026 Standard introduces an additional “Other” option under the gender ratio in indicator SE5, representing the percentage of personnel identifying as a gender other than women or men, for both governance bodies and the organization’s employees.

Reporting Impact

Participants who monitor additional gender identities are now able to report these accordingly.

Scoring Impact

No scoring impact in 2026

Future Development

None identified to date.

Update to Climate Scenarios

RM5

Background & Purpose

Indicator RM5 (Climate Resilience) lists climate scenarios available for participants to use in their assessment of transition and physical climate risks.

Description

The list of climate scenarios available in RM5 has been updated in the 2026 Standard, including:

• NGFS: The latest release now incorporates the most recent climate and economic data for both short-term and long-term climate scenarios

• CRREM: The CRREM Foundation has discontinued the provision of the 2°C scenario, citing an inability to guarantee full scientific quality. CRREM may reinstate or add new scenarios over time.

Reporting Impact

Participants are now able to select the latest climate scenarios available as part of their reporting.

Scoring Impact

No scoring impact in 2026

Future Development

None identified to date.

Local Infrastructure

RES2

Background & Purpose

Indicator RES2 (Local Infrastructure) collects quantitative data on livability and walkability scores of residential assets at the portfolio level.

The current indicator design does not allow participants to report on either livability or walkability separately when only one of the two is monitored.

Description

The 2026 Standard addresses this constraint by introducing separate tick boxes to each option.

Reporting Impact

Participants monitoring only one of the two options are now able to report appropriately.

Scoring Impact

No scoring impact in 2026

Future Development

None identified to date.

Lease Contracts

RES6

Background & Purpose

Indicator RES6 (Lease Contracts) collects information on sustainability elements incorporated into lease contracts and related appendices.

Member feedback indicated confusion regarding the scope of inclusion for such clauses, particularly around whether they are expected to appear in both the lease contracts and related appendices.

Description

Without changing its original intent, the indicator statement has been revised to clarify that such clauses are expected to be included in either the contract or related appendices. This distinction is intentional, as including such clauses in the contract itself is not permitted in some jurisdictions.

• Old statement: Does the entity include ESG-specific elements in its standard lease contracts and related appendices?

• Revised statement: Does the entity include sustainability elements in its standard lease contracts and/or related appendices?

Reporting Impact

No reporting impact in 2026.

Scoring Impact

No scoring impact in 2026

Future Development

None identified to date.

Impact Analysis

The table below provides an aggregated impact analysis, broken down by topic, covering the approved updates to the 2026 Real Estate Standard.

*Maximum Potential Impact refers to the theoretical maximum drop in score that a participant may experience as per the corresponding Standard update.

Overview Table

The table below provides an overview of all updates to the 2026 Standard. No updates are currently planned for the 2027 Standard (see Introduction); however, this may be subject to change prior to the publication of the final 2027 Standard Updates document (~Q4 2026).

Management Component

Performance Component

Development Component

Residential Component