Global Alliance Drives Change in Built Environment with New Partners

Alliance between major bodies set to drive transformational change in the global built environment.

The international alliance between the UK-based Building Research Establishment (BRE), Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is welcoming four new partners as it aims to unlock the sustainable finance needed for the built environment to meet its climate goals. These include the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), GRESB, the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), and the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM).

The first in a series of milestones for the partnership, the alliance will publish next month a practical guide: Financing Transformation: A Guide to Green Building for Green Bonds and Green Loans. The guide will show how verification and certification schemes ensure compliance with multiple sustainable classification frameworks used globally, such as the EU and UK green taxonomies, and how they can be used to put the built environment on a 1.5C trajectory.

With the SGBC joining the alliance, the Green Mark certification scheme will be incorporated into the practical guide. This means that rating systems used across every continent will be included showing how these can be used to unlock sustainable finance towards green buildings. Having GRESB and CBI as supporting partners means that the alliance is backed by the key players that investors, banks, and issuers rely on to demonstrate the sustainable credentials of their portfolios and debt instruments. Meanwhile, CRREM’s participation ensures that as the collaboration continues, that there is clear alignment with key science-based decarbonisation trajectories for the built environment.

The alliance will hold an event during London Climate Action Week on the 27th June 2024 – Uniting the global built environment to drive climate action – at The View in The Royal College of Surgeons, London to mark the publication of the official guide. The event will bring together individuals, organisations and communities with a focus on sustainable development as they discuss ways to accelerate global climate action.

Having GRESB and CBI as supporting partners means that the alliance is backed by the key players that investors, banks, and issuers rely on to demonstrate the sustainable credentials of their portfolios and debt instruments.

Meanwhile, CRREM’s participation ensures that as the collaboration continues, that there is clear alignment with key science-based decarbonisation trajectories for the built environment.

If you would be interested in attending the event in London on the 27th June, please email BRE.RSVP@pagefield.co.uk.

Yvonne Soh, Executive Director of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC)

The Singapore Green Building Council is proud to join this international alliance focused on unlocking sustainable finance for green buildings. Participation alongside fellow leading green building councils like the USGBC and GBCA strengthens our collective voice and accelerates global progress towards a net-zero future. We are confident that the practical guide being developed will be a valuable resource for investors and developers, showcasing how green building certification schemes like Singapore’s Green Mark scheme can contribute to achieving ambitious climate goals and attracting sustainable financing.

– Yvonne Soh, Executive Director of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC)

Dr Chris Pyke, Chief Innovation Officer, GRESB BV

GRESB recognises green building as an important tool to inform institutional investment in real assets. The new guide will help increase the social and environmental impact of capital invested in green bonds and loans.

– Dr Chris Pyke, Chief Innovation Officer, GRESB BV

Aishwarya Sankar, Buildings Sustainability Analyst at Climate Bonds

This partnership on international sustainable finance guidance reaffirms Climate Bonds Initiative's (Climate Bonds) commitment to fostering a global economy that is financially sound and environmentally sustainable. Climate Bonds sector criteria influence international standards and establish best practice guidance, enabling entities globally to reference the sector criteria in their transition finance instruments. The strategic partnership can unlock the transformative potential of robust and credible sustainable investments.

– Aishwarya Sankar, Buildings Sustainability Analyst at Climate Bonds

Prof. Dr. Sven Bienert at CRREM

CRREM is thrilled to join forces with USGBC, GBCA, BRE, and the rest to deliver this guide for sustainable finance. These various rating tools are essential for verifying and implementing measures to address the urgent need to decarbonise and retrofit assets in alignment with our 1.5°C commitments.

– Prof. Dr. Sven Bienert at CRREM

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

About the Building Research Establishment (BRE)

BRE is a world leading, multi-disciplinary, building science centre with a mission to improve buildings and infrastructure, through cutting-edge research and knowledge generation. BRE maintains a range of products, services, standards and qualifications that are used around the world to bring about positive change in the built environment, including BREEAM. Since 1990, BREEAM’s third-party certified standards have helped improve asset performance at every stage, from design through construction, to use and refurbishment. Learn more at https://bregroup.com/.

About the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA)

Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is the nation’s authority on sustainable buildings and communities. Our mission is to accelerate the transformation of Australia’s built environment into one that is healthy, liveable, productive, resilient and sustainable. We work with industry and government to encourage policies and programs that support our mission. We educate thousands of people each year on how to design and deliver sustainable outcomes for Australia’s buildings and communities. And we operate Australia’s only national, voluntary, holistic rating system for sustainable buildings and communities - Green Star. www.gbca.org.au

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to transforming how buildings and communities are designed, built and operated to create thriving, healthy, equitable and resilient places that advance human and environmental wellbeing. USGBC leads market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org.

About the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC)

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) enables sustainability across the building and construction value chain, championing capability development and innovative solutions that support industry transformation through our Membership, Certification and outreach programmes. The repository of proven green building solutions helps to enable green procurement in the industry, profiling leading and innovative solutions that go towards building a greener, healthier built environment. Together with a growing pool of industry-recognised Green Mark Accredited Professionals, SGBC addresses every touchpoint of the green building ecosystem. For more information, please visit www.sgbc.sg