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© 2026 Global Real Estate Intelligence. An independent research index.Third-party research remains owned by its publishers; we summarise and link to the original. Public-record, regulatory and market data is compiled and hosted by GREI, with its source cited.
Policies & Regulation

The rules that reprice buildings.

Legislation, zoning, rent, tax, monetary and prudential policy that moves real estate markets, plus the sustainability, disclosure and energy standards investors hold real assets to — each entry links to the official primary source. (For what firms publish about themselves, see Reports & policies.)

News & DealsMarket ReportsPoliciesFundsInvestorsManagersMedia

19 of 68 regulations

All policyLegislation & regulationSustainability & standards
AllZoningRent regulationHousing financeMonetary policyPrudentialTaxDecarbonizationDisclosureEnergyStandardsEUUSUKCanada

Summaries are for orientation only, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements on the official source.

Newly added
United States — Washington, DCHousing Investment Protection Act of 2026 & Illegal Occupancy Enforcement Amendment Act of 2026 (DC)5 days agoUnited StatesENERGY STAR Portfolio ManagerCanadaBank of Canada interest rate announcement and release of the Monetary Policy ReporttodayCanadaPress Conference: Monetary Policy Report – July 20262 days agoUnited States — FederalSuspended Counterparty Program (2026-14036)
US — Boston· phasing in
Boston Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO)

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.

City of Boston
decarbonizationdisclosureemissionsenergyus
US — California· phasing in
California SB 253 — Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act

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.

California Air Resources Board
disclosuredecarbonizationemissionsuscalifornia
US — California· in force; enforcement paused pending litigation
California SB 261 — Climate-Related Financial Risk Act

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.

California Air Resources Board
disclosureclimate riskuscalifornia
Canada· voluntary
Canadian Sustainability Disclosure Standards (CSDS 1 & 2)

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.

Canadian Sustainability Standards Board
disclosureesgcanadaclimatereporting
US — Chicago· in force
Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance

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.

City of Chicago Department of Environment
disclosurebenchmarkingenergyus
EU· phasing in
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)

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.

European Parliament and Council
disclosurereportingesgeu
EU· in force
EU Taxonomy Regulation

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'.

European Parliament and Council
taxonomydisclosurebuildingsinvestmenteu
EU· phasing in
European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)

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

European Commission (EFRAG)
disclosurereportingstandardsesgeu
Global· voluntary standard
GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark)

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.

GRESB B.V.
voluntarybenchmarkdisclosuredecarbonizationesg
Global· voluntary standard
IFRS S1 / S2 (ISSB Sustainability Disclosure Standards)

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

IFRS Foundation / ISSB
voluntarydisclosuredecarbonization
US — New York City· in force
NYC Local Law 84 — Energy & Water Benchmarking

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.

NYC Department of Buildings
disclosurebenchmarkingenergyus
US — New York City· in force
NYC Local Law 97 — Greenhouse Gas Emissions Limits

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.

NYC Department of Buildings
decarbonizationenergyemissionsdisclosureus
Global· voluntary standard
Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) — Buildings

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.

Science Based Targets initiative
voluntarydecarbonizationdisclosureenergy
United States· stayed; proposed for rescission
SEC Climate-Related Disclosure Rule

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.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
disclosuredecarbonizationclimate riskus
EU· in force
Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)

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.

European Parliament and Council
disclosureinvestmentfinanceesgeu
Global· voluntary standard
TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)

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.

Financial Stability Board
voluntarydisclosuredecarbonization
UK· in force
UK Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — commercial

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.

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
energyukcompliancedisclosure
UK· in force
UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)

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.

UK Government (DESNZ)
disclosuredecarbonizationenergyukreporting
UK· phasing in
UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and investment labels

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.

Financial Conduct Authority
disclosureesgukfinance
2 days ago
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