What’s New in February
February marks an important period of engagement across GRESB Standards and Assessments, with the launch of our public consultation, new tools and services, and timely events just around the corner.
In this edition, you’ll find:
- The Road to Performance Public Consultation, now open
- The NZIF Alignment Tool for infrastructure, launching April 1
- The 2026 GRESB Accredited Professional (AP) exams
- The SFDR Reporting Solution for infrastructure
- New assessment services: Success Suite & Technical Expert Touchpoint
- Regional data center webinars in March and April
- GRESB’s live market quiz & debate at MIPIM 2026
Read on for details and ways to get involved.
Road to Performance: Public Consultation Now Open
The GRESB Foundation has launched a public consultation on proposed updates to the Real Estate Standard under its Road to Performance initiative—the GRESB Foundation’s long-term program to progressively strengthen the role of performance-based scoring within the GRESB Standards.
This consultation seeks member feedback on:
- The long-term direction of performance-based scoring
- The proposed pace and timeline for implementation
- The practical design of key structural changes within the Standard
How to Participate
To accommodate different levels of involvement and technical expertise, the consultation can be completed in one of two ways:
Option 1: Executive Review
- Read an executive summary of
the public consultation - Respond to core, directional questions
Option 2: Advanced Review
- Review the full consultation paper
- Respond to core and optional questions providing more detailed technical feedback
Both options are accessible through a single survey, where you can save your progress and return at any time.
The consultation will run from February 26 to April 23, 2026.
Your insight will directly inform the refinement of the proposed updates ahead of final publication of the 2028 Real Estate Standard. Learn more here.
GRESB NZIF Alignment Tool for Infrastructure Launching April 1
We are pleased to share that the GRESB NZIF Alignment Tool for infrastructure will launch as part of the GRESB Infrastructure Asset Assessment on April 1. New NZIF Guidance is now available in GRESB Guides.
What Is the GRESB NZIF Alignment Tool for Infrastructure?
Developed with IIGCC and following a successful pilot in 2025, the new tool provides a standardized approach to understanding how infrastructure assets, funds, and portfolios align with the Net Zero Investment Framework (NZIF). It uses existing GRESB data reported through the GRESB Infrastructure Asset Assessment alongside a short, voluntary NZIF Module.
The tool supports:
- A consistent and comparable view of NZIF alignment
- Clearer engagement on net-zero progress
- Reduced need for multiple or bespoke NZIF-related data requests across the investment chain
What Do You Receive?
Assets that complete the NZIF Module will receive a dedicated NZIF Alignment Report. Investors and managers who already have access to an asset’s Benchmark Report will be able to view their NZIF Alignment Report.
Participation is optional and free for participating infrastructure assets. Completing the NZIF Module does not affect GRESB Scores or benchmarks.
Learn more about the NZIF Alignment Tool on the GRESB Website.
2026 GRESB AP Exams Now Available
Earlier this month, we announced the launch of the 2026 GRESB Accredited Professional (AP) exams for real estate and infrastructure.
The GRESB Accredited Professional program is designed to equip professionals with the expertise to navigate GRESB Assessments, effectively manage sustainability data, and improve real asset performance.
Launching the 2026 exams two months ahead of the reporting period gives professionals time to prepare, get certified or re-certified, and build a clear understanding of the 2026 Standards and Assessment updates well in advance of the upcoming reporting cycle.
New in 2026:
- Shortened recertification exam available for 2025 GRESB APs.
- Chinese-language versions of the GRESB AP exams now available.
GRESB SFDR Reporting Solution for Infrastructure Now Available
As SFDR continues to shape reporting for investors and managers with EU exposure, GRESB’s SFDR Reporting Solution supports infrastructure managers and investors in navigating Principal Adverse Impact (PAI) disclosures for Article 8 and 9 funds.
With the June 30 reporting deadline approaching, the 2026 solution enables standardized PAI data access, year-on-year comparisons, and clearer engagement between investors and managers—supporting informed decision-making across infrastructure portfolios.
Learn more about the 2026 GRESB SFDR Reporting Solution for infrastructure and get started.
Dive deeper
To read more on the synergies between GRESB and SFDR and find more information on the proposed SFDR 2.0, read our recently updated article.
New GRESB Services: Success Suite & Technical Expert Touchpoint
GRESB has introduced new services to support participants throughout the 2026 Assessment cycle.
GRESB Technical Expert Touchpoint
New in 2026, the Technical Expert Touchpoint provides focused, one-on-one engagement with a GRESB Member Success expert. Available year-round for both real estate and infrastructure participants, the session offers targeted, on-demand guidance at any stage of reporting—from navigating the GRESB Portal and reviewing Asset Spreadsheet inputs to clarifying indicator requirements and validation-related questions.
GRESB Success Suite
The Success Suite brings together core elements of the GRESB reporting journey into one bundled offering, including:
- One seat for GRESB AP
- One Technical Expert Touchpoint
- One Pre-Submission Check
- Eligibility to opt in to Assessment Correction
- One Results Performance Review
By combining these components, the Success Suite is designed to promote consistent submissions, stronger alignment with the GRESB Standards, and clearer year-over-year performance insight.
Together, these offerings are designed to help participants move through the Assessment cycle with greater confidence and a clear focus on continuous improvement.
Join GRESB at MIPIM 2026
The Net Zero Reality Check: A Live Market Quiz & Debate
Road to Zero Stage (P3) | March 12 | 10-11am CET
Join GRESB at MIPIM 2026 in Cannes for an interactive session combining rapid-fire market questions with real benchmark data. Participants test their assumptions on net-zero progress, followed by a short debate with industry leaders interpreting what the results reveal about risk, value, and transition readiness.
Live market quiz
Participants test their assumptions using real data from the latest GRESB Real Estate Benchmark and a joint GRESB–MIPIM industry survey.
Rapid debate
Industry leaders interpret what the results mean for pricing, capital allocation, financing terms, and transition risk.
Audience-led direction
Live polling results shape the conversation in real time, revealing where perceptions align—or diverge—from market evidence.
Looking ahead
The session closes with a forward-looking discussion on whether the market is on a credible path to net zero—and what will determine the pace of change.
Speakers include:
- Mathilde Petriat, Chief Customer Success Officer, GRESB
- Hugh Garnett, Investor Strategies Senior Specialist – Real Assets, IIGCC
- Amanda Skeldon, Buildings Engagement Lead, Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
Global ESG Awards at MIPIM 2026
March 10, 2026 | 17:15–18:15 CET | Grand Auditorium Stage, Cannes
GRESB is partnering with EUBIN to support the 3rd edition of Global ESG Awards, recognizing sustainability leadership across the real estate industry. 2025 GRESB Sector Leaders can confirm attendance by registering by February 27 to be included in the on-stage recognition and group photo. Sector Leaders can register by adding “GRESB Sector Leader” in the company field after their fund and company name.
About MIPIM 2026
March 9–13, 2026 | Cannes, France
MIPIM is the world’s leading real estate gathering, uniting developers, investors, city officials, and innovators to explore the future of the built environment. MIPIM’s festival-style format blends high-level thought leadership, global capital connections, and immersive programming across 300+ pavilions.
See the full agenda and register here.
GRESB Events & Webinars
Data Center Webinar Series: Regional Insights for 2026
Join GRESB for three region-specific webinars to explore the evolving sustainability landscape for data centers across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC—providing timely insights ahead of the launch of the GRESB Data Center Assessment later this year.
Behind-The-Meter Power Generation for Data Centers: Tackling a Constrained Grid | March 19
Across the Americas, data center growth is colliding with grid congestion, interconnection delays, and rising scrutiny of how reliability strategies affect emissions. At the same time, community sentiment is becoming a material project risk. Join us online to discuss how to pursue resilient operations while maintaining procurement integrity and transparent sustainability performance.
Future-Ready Data Centers in EMEA: Regulation, Reporting, and Community Impact | March 26
In EMEA, data center sustainability is being reshaped by tightening regulation, higher disclosure expectations, and the need to operate efficiently within complex energy systems. Join us to discuss how to align operational performance and sustainability reporting with evolving regulatory and disclosure demands, and what investors and customers increasingly expect to see.
Data Centers: Impacts and Opportunities in Asia-Pacific | April 22
Data center demand across Asia Pacific is accelerating, but growth is increasingly shaped by real-world constraints—limited grid capacity, uneven grid decarbonization, water stress, and tighter siting and permitting expectations. Join us online to gain a clearer view of near-term priorities, credible pathways, and how to benchmark and communicate progress.
2026 Real Estate & Infrastructure Assessments Q&A Webinars
The 2026 Assessment Q&A webinars follow the opening of the GRESB Portal and provide a forum for the real asset industry to come together to discuss the assessments and ask questions.
If you haven’t already, please review the GRESB Guides to help you prepare for the 2026 assessment season and get familiar with updates that are being introduced this year.
During these online sessions, our Member Success Team will answer questions submitted during the registration process and asked during the event.
To accommodate GRESB Members across different time zones, we will be holding two sessions for each asset class:
- Real estate | April 1, 2026 | See sessions and register
- Infrastructure | April 2, 2026 | See sessions and register
Now on Demand | Assessing Sustainability in Real Estate Lending: A Lender-Focused Framework
Now available on demand, this webinar provides an overview of the GRESB Real Estate Lender Assessment, covering why it was developed, how it works in practice, and how it supports benchmarking, oversight, and credible engagement for lending and credit teams.
Foundation Update
Road to Performance: Public Consultation
The Foundation has launched a public consultation on the Real Estate Standard Road to Performance. The consultation covers recommendations to strengthen the role of measured, real-world performance within the Standard, developed through extensive efforts from the Real Estate Standards Committee and the Foundation Board. It aims to open a discussion and engagement with GRESB members and to provide transparency for the key recommendations, which were approved by the Foundation Board last year. The consultation will run for at eight weeks from launch with participation via online survey. Members of the Foundation will also be in Toronto 26-27 February, in Sydney 16-20 March and in Tokyo on 13 April to collect industry feedback.
Data Center Pilot Standard
With the help of the Data Center Working Group, GRESB continues to develop a Data Center Assessment, alongside iMasons. GRESB published a white paper at the end of last year and will publish a second white paper highlighting the challenges motivating the development of a new data center standard and assessment. The Data Center Pilot Standard is expected to launch during the first half of 2026. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions or interest to learn more.
2025 GRESB Member Survey
This is the last call to share your feedback on your 2025 GRESB member experience.
Your input will help us:
- Enhance the usability and impact of GRESB tools
- Improve how insights and analytics are delivered
- Strengthen the overall member experience across all regions and sectors
The survey takes only two minutes to complete and is open to all GRESB members.
The Pulse by GRESB
The Pulse by GRESB is an informative content series featuring the GRESB team, partners, GRESB Foundation members, and other industry experts, published on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Listen to the latest episodes below:
From Targets to Capital Allocation: Testing the Credibility of Corporate Decarbonization Plans
Alex Clark, Research Director at Asset Impact (a GRESB company), speaks with Vincent Bouchet, Scientific Portfolio’s Director of ESG and Climate Research, about their joint white paper, “Evaluating the Consistency of Companies’ Decarbonisation Targets in Critical Sectors.”
Contribute to GRESB Insights
Industry insights from our partners and members into “Performance-Driven Real Assets” and other rolling topics:
- Using smart water management to improve performance outcomes across real estate asset classes | HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
- The GCC needs sustainability benchmarking now: The regional business case for sustainability metrics in real estate and the role of GRESB | KEO International Consultants
- How Encouraging Real Estate Assets to Procure EACs Can Help Lower Reported Scope 3 Emissions | Green Project an ACT Company
Interested in contributing? Check out the 2026 GRESB Editorial Calendar for fixed monthly topics and submission guidelines. The topic for March is “Data Quality Matters.”
Upcoming Industry Events
SuperReturn North America 2026
March 16-18, 2026 | Miami, USA
SuperReturn North America returns to Miami, bringing together 800+ senior decision-makers, including 250+ LPs and 350+ GPs from more than 30 countries. Covering private equity, private credit, venture capital, secondaries, private wealth, and more, the agenda offers specialist summits and two days of in-depth discussions on the trends shaping capital allocation across North America and beyond.
GRESB members can receive a 10% discount using code FKR3585GRESB.
TRANSFORM 2026 – Green Building Council of Australia
March 19, 2026 | Sydney, Australia
TRANSFORM brings together 100+ speakers and 600+ senior leaders to explore the most pressing issues shaping the built environment—from climate change and net-zero transformation to nature-positive strategies and circular design. Join GRESB’s Chief Innovation Officer, Chris Pyke, for a session on “Financing a Sustainable Future–From Regulation to Innovation.”
9th Sustainable Investor Summit | Austria Forum 2026
March 18–19, 2026 | Vienna, Austria
GRESB is pleased to support the 9th Sustainable Investor Summit, hosted by ICF in Austria. Bringing together institutional investors, asset managers, and sustainability leaders from across the DACH region, the event provides a focused platform for dialogue on responsible investing, transition finance, and long-term capital allocation across asset classes.
Careers
GRESB is growing and looking for new people! Please feel free to share with your network.
Our most recently added open positions:
- Financial Controller | Amsterdam
Further Reading & Listening
Sustainability remains core for real estate despite ESG pushback | CRE Media Europe
Transition finance in South-east Asia expected to grow in 2026, say market watchers | The Business Time
Interview mit Charles Van Thiel und Yannis Pierre-Yves Papacostas | SSREI (in German)
On target? Progress needs to accelerate to reach 20250 net-zero goals | Institutional Investing in Infrastructure
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