100% energy data coverage for GRESB reporting – If you act now
While the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) portal won’t open for submissions until 1st April 2025, real estate managers and directors are already gearing up for this year’s reporting. The most forward-thinking among them already have preparations well underway.
The clock is ticking, and gathering accurate data from the 2024 calendar year is crucial for determining your GRESB score. Data coverage plays a significant role, accounting for up to 19.5 of the 100 available points. The higher your percentage of data coverage, the better your overall score.
Already well into January 2025, some may feel that achieving 100% coverage is out of reach. However, as a general rule, participants in a 12-month reporting period are allowed to estimate up to two months of data if they have at least 10 months of actual figures.
While it is technically possible to pull data through to March for a 12-month reporting period we recommend aiming for a February deadline. By then, processes will be implemented, and clients onboarded, making February the most realistic cut-off for ensuring up to 100% energy data coverage.
The importance of GRESB reporting
GRESB is a global benchmark that drives greater transparency and comparability within the market. Its framework enables investors and stakeholders to pinpoint sustainable investment opportunities.
From an organisational standpoint, GRESB aligns with international sustainability reporting frameworks and can help participants stay ahead of regulatory requirements. It also supports companies in prioritising initiatives towards their net-zero strategies, managing assets cost effectively and ultimately gaining a competitive edge.
The challenges facing stakeholders
Historically, asset performance data in the real estate sector has been difficult to access. However, top performers obtain a strategic advantage by leveraging tools and software to overcome some of the following barriers.
Data availability
Accessing energy consumption data from tenanted properties is challenging due to privacy concerns and tenant engagement issues. If data access wasn’t previously arranged, it may require new negotiations with tenants, coordination with utility providers, and updates to contractual terms, such as implementing green leases.
Data quality
Raw data can have errors and anomalies. It’s important the data collected is comprehensive, continuous and accurate.
Data coverage
GRESB evaluates data coverage through two dimensions: area and time. This involves gathering all accessible and necessary asset-level data across a whole portfolio over a continuous period, usually a 12-month cycle. Achieving 100% data coverage across a portfolio is complex and time consuming.
Why it’s not too late
At arbnco, our technology automates the energy data access process, removing the need to initially involve tenants. We can access every energy meter in the UK, detailed to specific suppliers for accurate reporting. Once we’ve matched your meters, our platform captures the last 12 months of energy consumption for any property, continuously tracking it thereafter.
By registering your meters by February 2025, you’ll instantly gather data from the past 12 months—providing 10 months of actual energy figures from the 2024 calendar year and allowing you to estimate the remaining 2 months for up to 100% coverage when submitting to GRESB.
We’re currently working with leading CRE companies like Assura, Nuveen, British Land and more, providing them with seamless access to metered energy consumption and supplier specific carbon emission data for GRESB and Scope 3 reporting.
We have gone from minimal energy data coverage to 100% in our first year; we look forward to expanding our relationship, leveraging arbnco’s capabilities to reduce our carbon footprint.
arbnco has provided us with a
cost-effective scalable solution to access energy data and supplier specific carbon for our entire UK property portfolio supporting us on our journey to net-zero.
We are thoroughly enjoying working with the arbnco team to help us with our carbon reporting and future decarbonisation needs.
How to get started
Ranked among the Top 10 UK PropTech Companies in 2024, arbnco is your trusted partner from energy data access through to decarbonisation strategy. Explore our innovative solutions and book a discovery session today by visiting our homepage.
Achieving 100% energy data coverage for GRESB reporting is still within reach, even as the data gathering deadline approaches. By leveraging arbnco’s automated data collection solutions, you can ensure accurate and timely reporting while gaining a competitive advantage. Partner with arbnco to simplify your GRESB submission process and drive sustainable progress towards net-zero.
