CSP aligns with GRESB’s greater emphasis on measured building performance
[CHICAGO, November 10, 2026] IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management) is pleased to announce that its Certified Sustainable Property (CSP) certification remains a GRESB-recognized certification under the newly released 2028 GRESB Real Estate Standard. GRESB continues to acknowledge CSP certification for its comprehensive approach to sustainability, covering a broad range of practices that contribute to better-performing properties.
The new Standard represents a significant shift in how GRESB evaluates real estate sustainability, placing greater emphasis on measured performance. Beginning with the 2028 assessment, decarbonization performance will account for 30 points of the GRESB Score, up from 6.5% under the 2026 Standard. The new approach gives more weight to the measured results that managerial practices deliver, starting with energy and greenhouse gas emissions, which are the most material and urgent challenge facing real estate.
The CSP is well positioned to help property managers and owners prepare for that shift. CSP requires ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® benchmarking of energy and water use, improvement targets and periodic recertification, giving portfolios tools and practices that support GRESB’s increased focus on measured results.
“GRESB’s move toward measured performance reflects where the industry is headed, and it reinforces the importance of having reliable data and practical sustainability practices in place,” said 2026 IREM President Mindy Gronbeck, CPM®, CCIM. “The CSP gives property managers and owners a practical way to put those practices to work, measure progress and demonstrate responsible property operations. We look forward to continuing to align the CSP with the performance priorities in the 2028 GRESB Real Estate Assessment.”
Building certifications will continue to be part of the GRESB Standard, although their overall scoring weight for Standing Investments will decrease from 8.5 points to four. Under GRESB’s new scoring system, properties with CSP certification can earn up to half of the points available for building certifications. A portfolio fully covered by CSP can therefore earn up to two of the four building certification points under the 2028 Standard.
The 2027 GRESB Standard remains unchanged, meaning CSP certifications will continue to receive their existing points value for the 2027 assessment. Property managers and owners seeking to secure that value should submit CSP applications by December 31, 2026.
Beyond certification points, CSP certification can help portfolios build the operational foundation for GRESB’s evolving approach. The 2028 Standard gives considerably more weight to measured energy and greenhouse gas performance and incorporates the quality of underlying data into scoring, while also introducing greater recognition for areas including biodiversity, refrigerants, grid interactivity and innovation.
“CSP has always been about more than earning a certification,” said Gronbeck. “It’s about giving property managers a practical framework to understand how their buildings are performing, identify opportunities for improvement and turn sustainability goals into day-to-day operations.”
