Six Assessment Areas
Green Globes EB 2021 evaluates criteria from six environmental assessment areas, including Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Management; Site; Energy; Water; Materials; and Indoor Environmental Quality that total 1,000 maximum points.
- ESG MANAGEMENT addresses operations and maintenance, resilience, and management policies pertaining to promoting ethical social and governance approaches.
- The SITE assessment area addresses decontamination and improvement efforts of the immediate existing site when applicable.
- The ENERGY assessment area is the most substantial, containing 31 percent of the total points. This area offers project teams three pathways to decrease carbon emissions and support carbon-neutral buildings. Prescriptive energy measures for envelope, lighting and various systems, as well as commissioning, maintenance and management practices and renewable/alternative energy also are evaluated.
- The WATER assessment area guides water efficiency through strategies that include reducing consumption, increasing water recycling and using alternative sources of water. There are multiple pathways for assessing water performance and outdoor water consumption to provide flexibility and incentivize monitoring and consumption reduction.
- The MATERIALS section assesses cycle renovations, or the policies in place to encourage regular evaluation of product maintenance and replacement needs, as well as material composition, transparency and other procurement best practices. This area provides points for policies that reflect a priority for procurement practices that support such evaluation and use of EPDs, HPDs and third-party certifications, as well as for specifying products that are reused or contain recycled material. Collection, storage and handling of recyclable materials and electronics, as well as composting and other efforts to minimize waste also are given points.
- Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) evaluates IEQ systems—measures and management, filtration systems, pollutant control, integrated pest management, cleaning and disinfection, hazard prevention, lighting, comfort, health and wellness, thermal comfort and acoustical comfort—to ensure the building provides a comfortable and productive environment for tenants to live, work or recreate. Building owners are also rewarded for encouraging safe and healthy practices, such as active workstations, use of stairs, and providing nutritional food and beverage options.
The user-friendly Green Globes software allows project teams to use criteria as a guide to strategically implement and be rewarded for sustainable operations while providing baseline data for evaluating future capital expenditures. The software allows for performance tracking of energy, water, waste and emissions, which encourages building owners and facility managers to monitor progress. The built-in comparison reporting and questionnaire cloning features are ideal for portfolio owners managing multiple facilities.
In summary, GBI makes aspirational goals achievable through user-friendly assessment tools, like Green Globes EB 2021, that are built upon comprehensive standards and supported by outstanding staff and expert assessors. As part of a non-profit community, GBI’s Green Globes Assessors view themselves as educators and coaches first, supporting performance improvement of all buildings. In the end, GBI’s overall process from start to finish delivers a high-value assessment plus a time- and cost- effective certification option for portfolio owners seeking to validate their portfolio achievements with a program that ties into their ESG annual reporting objectives.
The Green Building Initiative
GBI is a non-profit organization and American National Standards Institute- (ANSI-) Accredited Standards Developer dedicated to improving building performance and reducing climate impacts. Founded in 2004, the organization is the global provider of the Green Globes and federal Guiding Principles Compliance building certification and assessment programs. GBI also issues professional credentials, including the Green Globes Professional (GGP) and Guiding Principles Compliance Professional (GPCP). To learn more about opportunities to become involved with GBI, contact [email protected] or visit the GBI website.
Access Green Globes for Existing Buildings 2021
If you’d like to begin using the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes EB 2021, you can access a free trial, as well as download the complimentary technical manual and view recorded webinars about the certification program at GBI’s website.
Provide Public Comment
Fostering respectful and inclusive communities where due process, transparency and consensus are prioritized is a guiding tenet for the Green Building Initiative. To that end, GBI’s rating systems undergo rigorous review, and public comment periods are a part of how the organization ensures its systems reflect the latest science, research and market needs. GBI regularly will invite public comment on Green Globes for Existing Buildings 2021, which has also been released as a draft standard, titled BSR/GBI 02-202x: Green Globes Assessment Protocol for Existing Buildings. The draft standard’s first public comment period ended July 5 and a schedule for future public comment opportunities can be found online.