How do you choose the best sustainability certification for your commercial property?

1 Benefits of certification

Sustainability certification can help you demonstrate your commitment to reducing your environmental impact, improving your social responsibility, and enhancing your tenant satisfaction. By following a recognized standard, you can also gain access to incentives, financing, and recognition from various stakeholders, such as investors, lenders, regulators, and customers. Additionally, certification can help you optimize your building's efficiency, resilience, and comfort, which can lower your operating costs, increase your occupancy rates, and boost your market value.

2 Types of certification

There are many different types of sustainability certification schemes for commercial properties, each with its own scope, criteria, rating system, and process. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), for example, is a global standard that covers various aspects of green building design, construction, operation, and maintenance. BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a UK-based standard that evaluates the environmental, social, and economic performance of buildings across a range of categories. WELL (Well Building Standard) focuses on the health and well-being of building occupants. Lastly, GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) assesses the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of real estate portfolios and assets.

3 Factors to consider

Choosing a sustainability certification for your commercial property requires careful consideration of several factors. You should evaluate your goals and priorities, budget and resources, the property's characteristics, and the certification's credibility and compatibility. It is important to consider how your objectives align with your business strategy, values, and vision. Additionally, you should assess the costs and benefits of different certification options, as well as the skills and expertise required for implementation and verification. It is also important to evaluate the features and conditions of your building, its performance in terms of sustainability, and how it compares to other buildings in your market and sector. Lastly, you should assess the reputation of the certification scheme, its compliance with relevant regulations and standards in your region, and its compatibility with other certifications you are involved in or interested in.

4 How to compare and select

Once you have identified and evaluated the factors that matter to you, you can compare and select the best sustainability certification for your commercial property. To do this, research and review the certification schemes, shortlist and rank them according to suitability and feasibility, consult and confirm with stakeholders, and apply and achieve the certification. Gather information on requirements, processes, fees, benefits, and case studies from online resources, industry publications, professional associations, and peer networks. Narrow down your choices to a few that meet your criteria and preferences using a scoring system or decision-making tool. Seek input and approval from management, staff, tenants, investors, advisors through surveys, interviews, workshops or presentations. Consult with the certification bodies or experts to clarify any doubts or questions. Follow the guidelines of the certification body when applying for the certification and use their tools and resources to prepare documentation. You may also hire a consultant or contractor to assist with implementation and verification of the certification.

5 How to maintain and improve

After you have achieved your sustainability certification, it is important to maintain and improve your performance. You should track and evaluate your building's sustainability performance and impact, using the relevant indicators and metrics. Data collection and analysis tools, such as sensors, meters, dashboards, and reports, can help with this. Additionally, share and showcase your sustainability achievements with the certification logo, certificate, plaque, or badge. Storytelling and visualization techniques can be used to report and communicate outcomes. You should also review and update your sustainability policies, practices, and plans based on performance data, feedback, and learning. Lastly, renew and upgrade your sustainability certification according to the renewal cycle and upgrade options of your certification scheme. This can be seen as an opportunity to reaffirm commitment to sustainability and demonstrate continuous improvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?