Briefly Explained: Making GRESB Scoring Simple

Property owners who conduct ESG reporting and scoring at the asset or portfolio level are making a crucial step towards comprehensive ESG management. Scoring provides an objective assessment and comparability of the ESG performance of properties, paving the way for future investments based on positive results. GRESB scoring is one of the most effective methods to ensure the value retention of an asset and to demonstrate commitment to ESG standards in terms of regulatory compliance. Detailed information on ESG reporting and scoring, their benefits, and further background can be found here.

However, there are several challenges on the path to achieving a high ESG score. The first challenge is data collection. The process still requires significant communication and management, as asset managers often lack direct access to many necessary data points (e.g., tenant consumption data). Additionally, manual entry into the GRESB portal or using Excel sheets is prone to errors and is inflexible in terms of timing, as data can only be entered during a specific period. Even if all required data is accessible, it must be translated into a usable GRESB format. This year, for the first time, the provider has offered a conversion aid for waste volume.

The solution for streamlined GRESB scoring: A centralised platform for all ESG data

Within holistic ESG management, reporting and GRESB scoring are only part of the process – it is also essential to analyse the ESG performance of a property and identify potential optimisation measures. The common factor in all these areas is data. The consumption data needed for analysis will also be used in the scoring process. The key to effective ESG management, and therefore an easy GRESB scoring process, lies in intelligent data management. Isolated solutions that combine Excel lists, analysis tools, and the GRESB portal are only partially effective, as they separate data, knowledge, and stakeholders. A better solution is a centralised platform for all ESG data. This prevents ESG reporting and scoring from being conducted in isolation from other ESG activities and avoids duplicating efforts in data collection.

As a single source of truth and the home for all ESG data, Alasco enables an efficient and error-free GRESB scoring process through:

• Automatic data export from Alasco to the GRESB portal
• Guidance throughout the process, including real-time notifications of missing data or incorrect entries
• A user-friendly interface
• Storage and reuse of all scoring data

Thanks to these features, users experience a more focused and faster scoring process and improve their GRESB score year after year with complete data.

Many asset managers choose GRESB for ESG scoring, currently the most widely used ESG scoring standard in Europe. However, the scoring process involves significant effort, as those responsible must gather a large amount of data and information to answer the criteria catalogue. This is also under time pressure, as the reporting period for GRESB scoring is limited between 1st April and 1st July each year. It is easy for asset managers to spend more time filling out questionnaires than on actual measures to optimise ESG performance. To prevent this, we show in this article a solution for the quick and uncomplicated execution of GRESB scoring.

GRESB scoring does not have to be time-consuming and complicated. With a central solution for ESG data, the process is quick and easy.