For decades, commercial real estate investors have relied on a set of core due diligence reports before closing a transaction: property condition assessments, environmental site assessments, ALTA surveys and zoning compliance reports. While these reports remain critical risk assessment tools, another category of risk now deserves a place alongside these traditional investigations: climate- and sustainability-related risk. The growing number of Building Performance Standards, energy disclosure requirements and climate-related regulations across the United […]
Building owners in Colorado are facing new energy performance requirements. Like building performance standards across the country, Energize Denver and Building Performance Colorado (BPC) are designed to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions—but for many owners, understanding what’s required (and when) can feel overwhelming. The good news: while these regulations are complex, compliance is […]
Capital planning in commercial real estate has entered a new phase. In addition to traditional lifecycle replacements, managers now face a growing set of capital needs driven by energy ordinances, decarbonization goals, and climate risk. These drivers are no longer peripheral considerations; they are central to how capital plans are developed, prioritized, and executed. The […]
For owners of commercial buildings 20,000 square feet and larger in Washington State, the Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS) represents more than a regulatory requirement—it is a strategic opportunity. By improving energy performance, owners can increase asset value, lower operating costs, and reduce long-term risk in a market that increasingly prioritizes sustainability and operational efficiency. […]
Published in GRESB on Aug. 14, 2025. Our industry is engaged in an important dialogue to improve the efficiency and resilience of real assets through transparency and industry collaboration. This article is a contribution to this larger conversation and does not necessarily reflect GRESB’s position. As ESG performance becomes a defining factor in real estate […]
Best Practices for Achieving Green Certifications The world of sustainable design and green building certifications changes fast. New products and technologies come to the market on a regular basis. Codes, funding programs, and rating system requirements evolve every few years to keep pushing the bar higher. If you are a multifamily housing developer, how do […]
In 2024, Partner Energy’s Green Certifications practice grew in the number of properties certified, from 161 total properties certified in 2022, to 184 in 2023, and then to 192 in 2024. Last year, Partner Energy helped clients obtain 145 ENERGY STAR® EB certifications, and 47 other green certifications. Among ENERGY STAR® certifications, multifamily properties had […]
Originally published on GlobeSt In 2025 and beyond, not only must CRE owners and investors deal with physical climate risks like wildfires and hurricanes, but they also need to manage the transition risks that come with the shift toward a low-carbon economy. Transition Risks are business-related risks due to government regulations and disclosure rules around […]
On January 2nd, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published the report, Building Performance Software: Portfolio-Level Capabilities and Applications, which “reviews the ecosystem of environmental, social, and governance (ESG), energy management information systems (EMIS), and decarbonization software with the goal of orienting prospective users to current offerings.” The report “offers a snapshot of today’s rapidly evolving decarbonization […]
Published November 28, 2024 on GRESB.com Introduction In the face of growing climate challenges, the push for decarbonizing commercial real estate (CRE) portfolios has gained urgency. With “decarbonization waterfall” charts, like the one shown below laying out methods such as grid decarbonization, energy efficiency, on and off-site renewable energy, electrification, and carbon offsets, it is […]






