GRESB 2026: What to Keep an Eye on and Year in Review

Last year’s playbook won’t cut it. 2025 shifted some of the rules, and 2026 will push harder on climate risk. If you care about risk, asset value, and reputation, the question you need to ask is simple: where do the next points come from without wasting time and money? 

What Changed in 2025 and Why Scores Moved 

In the last round of reports, the biggest shift landed in the Energy section. Until now, like-for-like performance is what would make or break you; a small year-on-year increase could dock points from an otherwise efficient building.  

This year GRESB added “energy efficiency scoring” as an alternative, comparing assets against ASHRAE benchmarks for each climate zone. This change has had a noticeable impact on scoring, with efficient assets across the GRESB universe benefitting from higher scores.

Reaching top rankings didn’t suddenly become easy though. In fact, it got a lot harder. Because portfolios improved and raw scores rose, the percentile cut-offs for star levels moved up, and hitting five stars got harder than any other year. 

Besides that, we also saw more automated data flows across the market. More connections to utilities, better coverage, fewer gaps to chase in April. That raises the bar and makes the competition tighter. 

So how can we use this to influence next year’s reporting? If you’re still leaning only on like-for-like, you may leave points on the table. If you’re light on coverage or late on uploads, you’ll spend spring firefighting instead of improving and end up lagging behind your peers.  

What to Expect in 2026: Climate Risk Moves Up 

While we don’t have the scoring granularity for 2026 yet, we do have the direction. The general topic we anticipate GRESB placing greater focus on is climate risk. Expect more weight on having a clear, repeatable process for identifying physical and transition risks, and on showing the financial implications and actions. 

We expect some indicators to be retired in 2026. Based on current guidance, LE2 (Does the entity have ESG objectives?) and LE3 (Does the entity have one or more persons responsible for implementing ESG, climate-related, and/or human capital objectives?) will be removed, and scoring is likely to shift from on-site technical assessments toward evidence like  tenant fit-out guides. 

Final wording and points land in November, but the message is clear: climate risk and applied practice are moving to the centre of how portfolios are judged. Ask yourself: can you show where you’re exposed, what it costs, and what you’re doing about it? 

Get Ready Now – Practical Moves that Pay Back 

Whatever GRESB announces in November, some moves pay off either way. Do them now, while there’s still runway before the next reporting window. These are smart in any year and set you up regardless of tweaks to the rules. 

Start with data. It’s the base of a good submission. Confirm it’s complete and on a steady cycle. Agree who does what and when so it stays clean. Set a simple monthly or quarterly cadence, basic QA, a way to flag exceptions, and ownership so nothing stalls. 

Second, tighten climate risk. Set a clear cycle for physical climate risk assessments – at least every 3 years – and capture transition risks and their financial impacts. Make the process visible: who does what, when, and how the outputs flow into investment decisions. The pieces are often there already – it’s just a matter of pulling them into a single process to close gaps and unlock points. 

Third, plan for what expires. Certifications have shelf lives. If any are due to lapse in 2026, schedule renewals now. Do the same for net-zero audits that need a refresh. Set owners and dates, and keep the evidence file tidy so points don’t slip. 

How EVORA Helps – From Data to Decisions (and Points) 

We set you up for success end to end – from clean data and evidence, to strategy, to the final submission. When GRESB confirms the 2026 updates in November, we can adjust priorities so your portfolio is lined up for the new scoring without rework. 

We’ll teach your team how GRESB really works – the scoring logic, what “good evidence” looks like, and how to answer the question that’s actually being asked. We cut out the guesswork, set a simple rhythm, and build the habits that keep points from slipping. When it’s time to set the strategy, you’ll know exactly which levers to pull and why. The benefit isn’t just the GRESB score. You get a portfolio plan tied to risk and value. And because the reporting programme runs year-round, the next cycle is calm, not chaotic. 

If that’s the outcome you want, contact us and let’s talk about how we can improve your GRESB score.