Sponsoring Partner: Longevity Partners
Greetings to our GRESB Americas region!
Dear GRESB Americas community,
As we wrap up 2025, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all our Members and Partners across the region for another remarkable year of progress. It has been a busy and productive season for the Americas, and it was truly energizing to reconnect with so many of you during our Regional Insights events this fall.
As we look ahead to 2026, we are entering an exciting new chapter for GRESB and for the broader industry. Our teams are hard at work preparing new enhancements, expanded capabilities, and continued support designed to deliver even deeper transparency, comparability, and decision-useful insights. We remain committed to listening to your feedback and improving our processes in ways that make the GRESB experience even more valuable and effective.
We look forward to partnering with you in the new year as we continue advancing a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable real assets sector across the Americas.
Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a great start to the new year.
Sincerely,
Tom Idzal
Head of Americas
GRESB
Longevity Partners on Evidence-Based Pathways for Decarbonization
Real estate investors face a widening gap between 2030 climate commitments and on-the-ground implementation. Evidence shows that global building emissions are not declining at the required pace, while policy, energy price volatility, and grid constraints are reshaping operating fundamentals.
The portfolios that outperform this decade will be those that act early: strengthening data governance, capturing rapid savings through operational efficiency, planning phased electrification aligned with grid trajectories, and targeting deep retrofits where needed. These measures reduce compliance costs, bolster NOI, and protect valuations while avoiding upcoming supply chain bottlenecks.
With retrofit cycles, procurement, and planning timelines often spanning years, the window to deliver meaningful reductions before 2030 is narrowing.
Owners that integrate decarbonization into asset management and capital planning now will be best positioned to meet commitments and capture competitive advantage.
Looking back: Highlights from GRESB’s 2025 Americas Events
This fall, the GRESB Regional Insights series brought our community together across the Americas to review the 2025 Benchmark Results, examine market dynamics, and explore how high-quality data is driving performance, efficiency, and resilience. Across all stops, one message was clear: investors and managers are increasingly turning transparency into action.
Highlights from the region:
Los Angeles | Co-Host: Conservice
The LA event featured a keynote from ULI’s Chief Impact Officer Aimee Witteman and a candid discussion on how GPs are advancing sustainability despite political headwinds—reinforcing the importance of credible data and long-term value creation.
Chicago | Co-Host: JLL
Hosted at JLL’s Americas headquarters, attendees gained insights into how sustainability is influencing valuation, followed by a panel discussion with GRESB Participants on using the Benchmark to strengthen asset- and portfolio-level decision making.
Mexico City | Co-Host: THREE Consultoría Medioambiental
Our inaugural Latin America edition convened investors, banks, Afores, and managers to examine how transparency can unlock efficiency, resilience, and preferential financing. Leaders from FUNO, Macquarie, FibraHotel, BBVA, and Vesta illustrated what progress looks like on the ground, alongside insights into the broader regional opportunity.
New York | Co-Hosts: RE Tech Advisors & Yardi
This NYC session brought together US real estate leaders to explore macroeconomic conditions, GRESB performance insights, improvements in data quality, and the tools driving portfolio-level decisions. Discussions highlighted how stronger coverage, benchmarking analytics, and streamlined indicators are enabling more actionable sustainability strategies.
Toronto | Co-Host: EVORA Global
Our annual event in Toronto is always a highlight as Canadian CRE leaders came together to discuss how new Canadian regulations are challenging the market. Michael Brooks of REALPAC delivered an insightful and impassioned keynote. Additionally, a panel of distinguished industry leaders outlined their plans and views heading into 2026.
San Francisco | Co-Host: Verdani Partners
Hosted at Levi’s Plaza, a mighty group of industry players gathered for an evening that included a building tour by our hosts from Jamestown and a lovely rooftop reception under the glow of Coit Tower, followed by engaging presentations and discussion from leaders at Verdani, Bridge Investment Group, Sobrato, and Forvis Mazars.
Missed the GRESB Global Results 2025 Event?
If you couldn’t join us live on October 15, the full GRESB Global Results 2025 program is now available on demand. Presented in a brand-new format, this year’s program enables you to:
- See the big picture of today’s market dynamics
- Dive into sector insights and new initiatives
- Explore the Benchmark Results at your own pace
- Hear real-world stories from GRESB Participants
- Find out where risks are intensifying, efficiency is paying off, and sector trends are emerging
2026 GRESB Standards Updates & The Road Ahead
The GRESB Foundation has recently published the 2026 Standards Updates and the forward-looking 2026 Foundation Roadmap. Together, these resources provide a clear snapshot of the Foundation’s progress at the close of 2025 and outline the workplans guiding the evolution of the Real Estate and Infrastructure Standards in 2026 and beyond.
Access the documents below:
Last week, we hosted a series of webinars offering a first look at these updates and deeper insight into how the Standards will continue to mature over the long term. The sessions also highlighted the extensive industry engagement planned for 2026 and explored how the latest changes advance the Foundation’s vision of rewarding measured, real-world performance.
Recordings are now available on demand:
Harnessing Sustainability and Climate Resilience for Value Creation: A spotlight on Mexico’s FibraHotel
Mexican hospitality real estate investment trust FibraHotel relies on GRESB insights to strengthen certification efforts, advance its energy transition plan, and embed climate risk analysis across its portfolio of 85 hotels. The case study highlights how the company is scaling certifications, improving efficiency and renewable energy sourcing, and integrating resilience considerations into acquisition and asset management decisions—helping future-proof assets in climate-vulnerable regions and reinforce long-term value.
“GRESB is no longer just a reporting tool, it has become a core driver of how we manage operational performance, allocate capital, and future-proof our portfolio against climate and market transitions,” said Aranza Enríquez, Sustainability Manager at FibraHotel.
The Pulse by GRESB
Check out the latest episodes of The Pulse by GRESB:
- Rethinking Energy Procurement: From Compliance to Competitive Advantage
- Making Assurance Work for Real Assets
- The Pulse on Impact | From Scope to Templates: The 2025 EBA Pillar 3 Consultation
- Green Financing at the Crossroads: From Asset-Level Data to Market Transformation
Or you can find the whole series on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.
Upcoming Americas industry events
Climate Week NYC | Climate Group
September 21–28 | New York, NY
Join global leaders from business, government, and the climate community for a world-leading event featuring hybrid and online events across ten key themes—from health and energy to finance and food.
CICS 2025 | GBC Costa Rica
October 22-23 | San José, Costa Rica
Hosted by the Costa Rica Green Building Council, the Congreso Internacional de Ciudades Sostenibles will gather regional and global leaders to explore strategies for resilient, inclusive, and regenerative cities. Robert Slowko, Director, Americas, will be delivering a keynote address.
Thanks to our Global Partner Longevity Partners for sponsoring and contributing to this newsletter.