Real estate sustainability benchmark GRESB has seen substantial growth for its 2022 release, which now covers $6.9 trillion of gross asset value. 

Globally, the real estate benchmark grew by 20% in 2022 and covers 150,000 assets (see illustration above).

Average scores across real estate rose one point to 74 for standing investments and two points to 81 for developments. Oceania remains the best-performing region, scoring 82 for standing assets and 88 for developments.

Asia is the next best performing region with an overall score of 78 (2021:75), followed by Europe on 73 (2021: 71). The Americas region average score fell 1 point to 71, however this was due to substantial growth in the region, with 30% of participants taking part for the first time.

“The industry’s embrace of ESG continues to be reflected in our strong participation numbers and increased data coverage, signalling that real assets investors and managers alike remain steadfast in their commitment to sustainability,” said Sebastien Roussotte, CEO of GRESB. ​​

The post-covid recovery in most markets led to a rise in energy use in the 2022 assessment compared with the sharp dip in 2021. However, like-for-like greenhouse gas emissions still fell marginally. 

For more information on the GRESB real estate results click here.