May newsletter | Last chance to request a Pre-Submission Check; Global investors expand ESG engagement
What’s new in May
We’re approaching the end of May, which means just over a month to go until the close of this year’s reporting period on July 1.
May has been busy, and we are excited to share our updates in this newsletter, including:
Please recall that as of last month all communications from GRESB have been coming from no-reply@mail.gresb.com , so make sure to whitelist this address in your email settings to continue to receive news and updates from GRESB.
For more about what’s going on at GRESB, read below. For any questions, please contact us .
Last chance to request a Pre-Submission Check
Due to high demand we have extended the deadline to request a Pre-Submission Check to June 7. Book yours now for a careful review of your Assessment response, followed by a 1-hour discussion call and an optional feedback report. This can help you maximize the value from your ESG efforts and ensure that you are not overlooking any details in your submission.
In 2023, new GRESB Participants who used the Pre-Submission Check scored 2.9–7.4 points higher on average than those who did not.
There’s only a few slots left. Learn more about the Pre-Submission Check and request yours in the GRESB Portal .
Global investors expand ESG engagement in APAC
For the fourth consecutive year, a group of global investors, in collaboration with GRESB, has increased their coordinated efforts in the Asia Pacific region to engage with the real asset industry on significant ESG disclosures and net-zero strategies.
This year’s campaign has expanded to include infrastructure companies for the first time, in addition to listed real estate companies and REITs, resulting in an engagement rate higher than ever before.
“It’s great to see global investors using the weight of capital to encourage companies to improve their management of ESG issues. In turn, this can enhance investee companies’ financial performance and the long-term performance of investment portfolios,” said Ruben Langbroek, Head of Asia Pacific at GRESB.
Read more about the collaborative engagement campaign in our press release here.
GRESB Accredited Professional Program now available
The GRESB Accredited Professional (GRESB AP) program , designed to empower professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in sustainability reporting within the real assets industry, is now available.
Open to GRESB Members, Participants, Partners, and individuals seeking to expand their knowledge in sustainability reporting, the GRESB AP credential will equip you with the expertise to understand, report, and manage sustainability data and performance within the GRESB Real Estate Assessment.
Take the GRESB AP exam to qualify for the credential and make sure to renew it annually to keep your knowledge current. The AP certificate is valid for 12 months, and you can start your AP journey here .
Foundation update
Foundation stakeholder engagement
The Foundation continues to actively engage with stakeholders through in-person and virtual meetings, as well as through a quarterly newsletter, which includes updates on the Standards Committees, as well as content, tools, and engagement suggestions relevant to Investor Members. If you are an Investor Member and would like to sign up to receive the investor newsletter, please email info@gresb.com .
In March, we hosted a social sustainability roundtable in Sydney and recently an Investor Masterclass, which included presentations by APG, Hesta, NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp), and VFMC. This week, we will host another Social Sustainability Roundtable in London. If you would like to receive updates on our social sustainability efforts, please email info@gresb.com . The next Investor Masterclass (virtual and in-person) will take place in London on Wednesday, June 26.
2025 Standards workplan
The Real Estate (RESC) and Infrastructure Standards Committees (ISC) have begun to endorse the first proposals for changes to the 2025 GRESB Standards, which are then brought to the Foundation Board for approval. (For a refresher on the approval process, please revisit the GRESB Foundation 2024 Roadmap .) During its most recent meeting, the Foundation Board approved the first changes to the 2025 Infrastructure Standards: introducing data coverage across key metrics and standardizing Scope 2 GHG emissions reporting. The ISC is hopeful these two proposals will help to tackle key issues for the GRESB Infrastructure Standards, including:
There is still an immediate opportunity for Investor Members to participate in the public consultation on building certifications , which will support the revision of building certification criteria and ultimately affect the scoring of each certification scheme within the GRESB Real Estate Standard.
Standards Committee members in-person meeting
The Standards Committees will host their first in-person meetings this month. We are pleased the majority of RESC and ISC members can attend the event, and GRESB hopes to find ways to connect in person in the future. During the in-person gathering, both committees will host an extended version of their usual meetings, during which they will continue to work through their 2024 workplan. They will also participate in a joint committee networking session alongside the entire Foundation Secretariat and the Foundation Board chair.
Going beyond climate: Biodiversity in focus
Join us online on July 2 for the Going beyond climate: Biodiversity in focus webinar, in which we will explore real-world perspectives from industry leaders on navigating corporate challenges and daily operations, while uncovering the significant value creation potential that biodiversity presents beyond its natural benefits.
What is the role of biodiversity in sustainable development? How is the data collection vision emerging to support this? This event is essential for anyone looking to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving sustainability landscape.
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GRESB events on demand
All our recent GRESB Inside ESG events are now available on demand. Watch our latest webinars below:
The Pulse by GRESB
The Pulse by GRESB is a new content series featuring the GRESB team, partners, GRESB Foundation members, and other experts. You can find the series on Spotify , LinkedIn , and YouTube . Listen to the latest episodes below:
Contribute to GRESB Insights
The theme this month was "Regulatory Compliance & Alignment.” Below are the latest GRESB Insights on this and other rolling topics:
See all of our GRESB Insights here . Next month’s topic (June) is "The S in ESG."
Upcoming industry events
ULI Asia Pacific Summit | May 27-30 | Tokyo, Japan
This event brings together institutional investors, investment managers, developers, public sector leaders, urban planners, and real estate professionals to share ideas and exchange best practices. Yvonne Huang (黃欣鳳) , GRESB Lead Representative Asia, will be speaking at the event.
REITweek 2024 Investor Conference | June 3-6 | New York, US
Gain access to Nareit corporate members and learn about their business plans, forecasts and strategies. REITweek offers compelling panels that provide the latest perspectives on the economy, industry trends, and other investment insights.
SuperReturn International | June 4-7 | Berlin, Germany
Get the inside track on innovation, ESG, growth, private debt, value, regeneration, and returns at private capital’s most senior and global gathering.
Provada 2024 | June 11-13 | Amsterdam, Netherlands
Join the largest real estate fair in the Netherlands with more than 200 exhibitors from the real estate sector and more than 70 municipalities, provinces, and the central government. The public sector is well represented, where the public-private connection is central to the program.
Infrastructure Investor Japan Korea Week | June 11-14 | Seoul, South Korea & Tokyo, Japan
Gain insights into asset category investment prospects by the region’s most influential institutional investors and understand how to create a bulletproof strategy using insights from prominent institutional investors in Japan and Korea.
Greenfin 2024 | June 17-19 | New York City, US
Get up to speed on the latest ESG trends in finance and investing and discover essential products and services needed to accelerate your climate strategy. GRESB’s Chris Pyke , Chief Innovation Officer, will be speaking at the event.
2024 ASHRAE Conference | June 24-26 | Indianapolis, US
Delve into new approaches in integrated analysis and digital practice management and be immersed in the practical application of real-world solutions to advance global efforts to improve indoor environmental quality and address climate change. Parag Cameron-Rastogi (Rastogi) , GRESB Real Assets Analytics Director, will be speaking at the event.
See our events calendar for a full overview of upcoming events.
Careers
GRESB is growing and looking for new people! Please feel free to share with your network.
Our most recently added open positions:
What are we reading
Carbon emissions are dropping—fast—in Europe | The Economist (paywalled)
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