The rules that reprice buildings.

Federal tax deduction (up to ~$5/sq ft with prevailing-wage compliance) for energy-efficient property in commercial buildings achieving at least 25% energy-cost savings. Phasing out for projects beginning construction after June 30, 2026.

Requires large existing buildings to report annual energy and water use and meet declining GHG emissions standards, reaching net zero by 2050. Imposes both disclosure and emissions-cap obligations on Boston CRE.

A sustainability assessment method for buildings and infrastructure covering energy, carbon, health, circularity and resilience across the lifecycle. Widely used in Europe to certify environmental performance.

Mandatory energy-efficiency requirements for new and altered nonresidential buildings, expanding heat-pump use, electric-readiness and ventilation standards. Applies to permits filed on or after January 1, 2026.

Requires US companies with over $1bn revenue doing business in California to publicly report Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (Scope 3 from 2027). Affects large CRE owners and REITs; first reports due 2026.

Requires companies with over $500m revenue doing business in California to publish biennial climate-related financial risk reports. Relevant to large CRE firms with physical and transition-risk exposure.

Federal strategy to cut emissions and energy costs across Canada's buildings sector by accelerating retrofits and low-carbon new construction. Affects CRE owners via retrofit programs and future code stringency.

ISSB-aligned standards (general sustainability and climate disclosures) setting how Canadian entities report sustainability and climate risks. Voluntary from 2025, providing the disclosure baseline for Canadian real-estate companies.

Requires buildings larger than 50,000 sq ft to track and report whole-building energy use annually via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, with periodic data verification. Provides energy-transparency benchmarking for Chicago CRE.

Requires very large companies to identify, prevent and address adverse human-rights and environmental impacts in their chains of activities, and adopt a climate transition plan. Affects large CRE developers and investors via construction supply chains.

Expands mandatory sustainability reporting to a wide set of large and listed companies, requiring audited disclosure under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards on a double-materiality basis. Captures large CRE owners, developers and REITs.

Science-based decarbonization pathways that let owners assess when buildings risk becoming 'stranded' against 1.5C/2C targets. Used for transition-risk analysis, retrofit planning and capital allocation.

A green-building standard requiring at least 20% savings in energy, water and embodied carbon versus a local baseline, with free design software. Used by developers in emerging markets.

Requires commercial and multifamily buildings 25,000 sq ft and larger to meet progressive energy-use targets through 2030, with prescribed upgrades for smaller buildings. Binding performance obligations for most large Denver properties.

A free tool to benchmark a building's energy, water, waste and GHG performance and earn an ENERGY STAR score and certification. The reporting backbone for many state and city building-performance mandates.

Establishes 'energy efficiency first' as a binding EU principle and a target to cut final energy consumption 11.7% by 2030, with stronger obligations to renovate public buildings and expand energy audits. Tightens efficiency expectations across building operation.

Sets a path to a fully decarbonised EU building stock by 2050: a zero-emission standard for new buildings, minimum energy performance standards triggering renovation of the worst-performing non-residential buildings, solar-ready requirements, and strengthened energy performance certificates. Directly drives capex and asset-value risk for CRE owners.

Raises the EU's binding 2030 renewable target to at least 42.5%, with sectoral targets for heating and cooling in buildings and faster permitting for on-site renewables. Pushes CRE owners toward on-site solar and renewable heating.

A classification system defining when an activity counts as environmentally sustainable, with technical screening criteria for construction, renovation, acquisition and ownership of buildings. Determines whether real estate assets can be reported as Taxonomy-aligned 'green'.

The detailed standards companies must use to report under the CSRD, including climate change, energy and own-operations metrics relevant to building portfolios.

An investor-driven ESG benchmark that scores the sustainability performance of real estate and infrastructure portfolios via standardized annual assessments. Used by institutional investors, managers and REITs to compare ESG performance.

Global baseline standards for sustainability- and climate-related financial disclosures, building on the TCFD framework. Used to provide decision-useful, comparable sustainability disclosures.

An international management-system standard to establish, maintain and continually improve an organization's energy performance. Used by building operators to systematically manage and reduce energy use.

The most widely used green-building rating system, certifying buildings on energy, water, materials and indoor environmental performance. Used by developers, owners and tenants worldwide.

A government-run system rating the operational environmental performance of buildings on a one-to-six-star scale covering energy, water, waste and indoor environment. Used to measure and disclose in-use performance.

Requires owners of buildings 50,000 sq ft or larger to annually report whole-building energy and water use via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, underpinning NYC's building-emissions program.

Caps annual GHG emissions for most buildings over 25,000 sq ft, with limits from 2024 tightening sharply in 2030 en route to net zero by 2050. Owners must file annual emissions reports or face penalties.

Criteria and sector guidance (including buildings/real estate) so companies can set GHG-reduction targets aligned with climate science and net-zero by 2050. Used to validate emissions-reduction targets.

Requires existing nonresidential and multifamily buildings over 20,000 sq ft to meet progressively stronger GHG targets, reaching net zero between 2041 and 2050. A core decarbonization mandate for large Seattle CRE.

Would have required SEC registrants to disclose material climate risks, governance and certain GHG emissions. The rule was stayed in 2025 and proposed for rescission, so it imposes no current obligations on public CRE issuers.

Requires financial market participants, including real estate fund and asset managers, to disclose how they integrate sustainability risks and adverse impacts at entity and product level. Shapes how CRE funds market and report ESG credentials.

A framework recommending how organizations disclose climate-related financial risks across governance, strategy, risk management and metrics. Widely adopted; monitoring passed to the IFRS Foundation/ISSB in 2023.

Tiered sustainable-design requirements applied through planning approvals, Tier 1 mandatory and higher tiers incentivized, covering energy, emissions, water and ecology. Affects mid/high-rise residential and ICI developments in Toronto.

Requires an EPC, valid 10 years, whenever a commercial building is built, sold or let. Affects every CRE transaction and underpins the MEES minimum-rating regime.

Prohibits landlords from letting non-domestic property in England and Wales unless it holds at least an EPC E rating or a valid exemption. Owners must upgrade or register exemptions for sub-E commercial stock.

Requires large UK companies, quoted companies and large LLPs to disclose energy use, GHG emissions and efficiency actions in annual reports. Affects larger CRE owners, REITs and property funds.

FCA regime governing sustainability-related product naming, marketing, investment labels and disclosures, plus an anti-greenwashing rule. Affects managers marketing sustainable CRE investment products to UK investors.

Mandatory energy-performance standards and benchmarking for existing commercial buildings over 50,000 sq ft, phased by size. Largest Tier 1 buildings must comply by June 1, 2026.

Sets minimum energy-performance standards (benchmarked to the local median ENERGY STAR score) for privately owned buildings 50,000 sq ft and larger. Buildings below standard enter a multi-year compliance cycle.

A performance-based certification focused on how buildings affect human health across air, water, light, comfort and mind. Used by owners and employers to certify that spaces support occupant health.