GRESB Reporting Deadline: Top Tips for Accurate Energy and Carbon Submissions

As the July 1 GRESB submission deadline looms, ESG professionals in commercial real estate find themselves deep in the trenches of data collection, validation, and documentation.

Whether you’re a first-timer navigating the survey or a seasoned veteran chasing marginal score improvements, getting your energy and carbon reporting right is more than a compliance checkbox—it’s an opportunity to elevate your ESG performance story.

In this post, we offer practical guidance for making your 2025 GRESB submission as accurate and impactful as possible, with a focus on energy and carbon performance indicators. Drawing from the latest GRESB 2025 Reference Guide and grounded tips from ESG practitioners, here are the most effective ways to sharpen your submission in the final weeks.

Why Energy and Carbon Metrics Matter More Than Ever

GRESB scores are increasingly scrutinized by institutional investors, with energy consumption and GHG emissions forming the bedrock of the Environmental dimension. Combined, these metrics make up a significant portion of the Performance Indicators section—20% for energy and 10% for carbon emissions.

Beyond scoring, accurate reporting of these metrics is critical for:

1. Benchmarking against peers and identifying performance leaders and laggards.
2. Validating progress toward corporate net-zero goals.
3. Attracting capital from sustainability-conscious investors.
   

Given this high impact, it’s essential that sustainability teams prioritize completeness, consistency, and transparency in energy and carbon reporting.

1. Prioritize Coverage Over Perfection

The GRESB scoring framework rewards completeness of data coverage over minor precision improvements. Focus your efforts where it counts most:

• Like-for-like (LFL) data—buildings that have full 24-month data coverage—are scored separately and are highly prized by investors.
• Standing investments—buildings with stable occupancy and no significant renovations—should be the primary focus for energy and carbon data coverage.
  

To increase your data coverage quickly, start with your largest buildings by square footage, especially those you directly manage and have access to meter data for. One large building with clean, full-year energy data is worth more than chasing incomplete data across five smaller assets.

2. Set Internal Deadlines (And Enforce Them)

Successful GRESB submissions rely on cross-departmental coordination. From utility data to emissions factors, no single person holds all the cards. To keep the train moving:

• Define a timeline with milestones for each data type (energy, water, waste, GHG).
• Assign clear ownership of each metric—Accounting for invoices, Engineering for meters, HR for social data, etc.
• Escalate early. If deadlines are at risk, engage executive sponsors to reinforce participation.

Make it clear that GRESB isn’t just “the sustainability team’s job”—it’s a company-wide effort that reflects operational excellence.

3. Align with GRESB Scoring Priorities

Not all metrics are created equal. Use the GRESB Reference Guide’s scoring weight tables to guide your focus. For energy and carbon, prioritize:

Given their combined impact on your overall GRESB score, these should form the foundation of your last-mile reporting efforts.

4. Scrutinize Reporting Boundaries

A common pitfall is omitting buildings that should be included in the reporting scope. To avoid underreporting:

• Cross-check against your 2024 acquisitions and dispositions.
• Include any building that was operational for any part of the 2024 calendar year, even if sold later.
• If in doubt—report rather than omit. Underreporting can be penalized more harshly than overreporting with caveats.

This is especially important when calculating emissions intensities, where total floor area plays a critical role in normalization.

5. Ensure Consistency Between Energy and GHG Reporting

Energy and carbon data are inherently linked. Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) emissions should be calculated using the same activity data submitted under energy consumption. Double-check that:

• Fuel use (e.g. natural gas, diesel) is reported in kWh equivalents and matches corresponding emissions entries.
• Emission factors used for conversions are consistent with GRESB guidance
• Electricity usage is split by source where possible—on-site renewables, RECs, grid supply, etc.

Even a single inconsistency (e.g. an electric use figure that doesn’t match your Scope 2 emissions) can raise red flags in validation.

6. Audit Your Data Coverage Metrics

GRESB calculates data coverage as a percentage of floor area for which actual data is reported. This includes:

• Whole building data: ideal when landlords pay utilities.
• Landlord-controlled areas: can be used with proper estimation boundaries.
• Tenant spaces: only if submetered or tenant data is accessible.
  

If using estimates, be transparent and follow GRESB’s best-practice protocols. Misreporting coverage—particularly inflating it with low-quality estimates—can result in data being discounted or flagged for review.

7. Don't Overengineer: Focus on This Year's Win

In the final weeks before the deadline, resist the urge to launch a full-blown audit or gap analysis. That work belongs to post-submission strategy. For now:

• Focus on high-impact improvements. For instance, adding one large office tower to your dataset could improve your energy score more than revisiting dozens of mid-sized buildings.
• Avoid chasing marginal gains that require multiple stakeholders or extensive approvals.
• Use the 80/20 rule: 80% of your score impact will likely come from 20% of your data.

Save the forensic analysis for August. Right now, your job is to get over the line—with integrity and confidence.

8. Organize and Label Supporting Evidence

GRESB reviewers rely heavily on your uploaded documentation to validate your reported data. Poorly labeled or missing files can undermine otherwise solid metrics. Make it easier for reviewers (and future you) by:

• Keeping a centralized folder structure organized by assessment section.
• Using clear, descriptive filenames (e.g., “EnergyPolicy_2024_Final.pdf” not “doc1234.pdf”).
• Including page references or highlights for long documents.

Proper documentation also streamlines year-over-year reporting and team transitions.

9. Watch for Common Energy and Carbon Mistakes

Here are some of the most frequent pitfalls that can compromise your energy and carbon submissions:

• Duplicated or misaligned meter entries—especially across portfolio management systems.
• Inconsistent timeframes (e.g., calendar year vs. fiscal year usage data).
• Outdated or regionally incorrect emissions factors.
• Unsubstantiated use of green power claims without certificates or contract evidence.

Perform a basic sanity check on key metrics—do your year-over-year values make sense? Are you showing sudden jumps or drops without explanation?

10. Think Beyond the Submission

While the July 1 deadline is a firm marker, it’s not the end of your ESG journey. Use your GRESB results to:

• Inform internal performance reviews and capital planning.
• Identify data infrastructure gaps (e.g., submetering, tenant data access).
• Refine your GHG reduction roadmaps based on real asset performance.

GRESB is both a mirror and a map—use it to reflect honestly on where you stand and where you’re heading.

Final Thoughts: Progress Over Perfection

As your team races toward the GRESB finish line, remember the guiding mantra: progress, not perfection. The ESG landscape is evolving fast, and no portfolio has it all figured out.

Prioritize high-value actions, collaborate across departments, and above all—submit with integrity. Whether you’re chasing a 5-Star rating or just trying to establish a baseline, what matters most is that your submission tells a truthful, measurable story of where you are and where you’re going.

You’ve got this—and Noda is here to support you, every step of the way.

About Noda

Noda is a data and analytics company on a mission to make every building smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. Recently ranked in the top 10 tech companies leading the charge on climate action, its AI-powered suite of products surface unique insights that empower real estate teams to reduce costs, decrease time spent on routine work, and find and act on opportunities to save energy and carbon. Discover how Noda's solutions can unlock the potential of your assets and accelerate the transition to net zero. Visit us at noda.ai to learn more.