A reflection on my first ever GRESB season

My first GRESB season was an experience. From the get-go, there is a lot to understand and take in – and in a very short space of time. Whilst GRESB aims to be a global ESG benchmark, I was still taken back by the scope of the questions and the level of data required. Without the use of SIERA, being able to manage all this information would have been extremely difficult and it just goes to show the value that the platform has – both to EVORA and our clients. Within the 2022 assessment period, EVORA has supported over 190 fund submissions.

To successfully complete a submission, the importance of planning cannot be underestimated. This is especially true when looking at the performance category, which is also the section that carries the most points. Through SIERA it is easy to prepare all this information and identify variances and gaps in data, which must then be remedied. This is where having strong client engagement is vital as it helps to make this process a lot easier. 

More broadly speaking, I am impressed with how GRESB is designed to constantly promote the real estate sector to improve its sustainability performance. This is primarily done through the design of the rating system in place. This splits all the entries into their quintile position relative to all the participants, with the top quintile receiving a 5-star rating. Having dynamic boundaries means that the sector is constantly having to improve and cannot rely on previous actions to guarantee a good score.

The preliminary results of this year’s assessment will be published on September 1^st, and we wish all our clients the best with their submissions.

If you would like any support with your GRESB submissions, or any other sustainability issue, please reach out to the team at EVORA and we will be happy to help.