SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

Asset Classes

Focus Area

Energy and Carbon

Topic

Benchmarking

Question #

E3.3 – Third-party Recognition

Question

Has the building’s energy use or carbon emissions been certified by, reported to, or recognized by a third-party?

Applicability

All asset classes
Owner/landlord occupied building
Tenant occupied building – Owner has access to utility data

Answer & Scoring

  • Yes = 1 point per option selected

Select all that apply:

    •  Yes — ENERGY STAR Certification or equivalent achieved (Office, Healthcare, MURB) = 1 point
    • Yes — GHGs reported to third-party = 1 point
    • Yes — Organization has disclosed net zero targets publicly = 1 point
    • Yes — Organization’s targets are science-based = 1 point
  • No = 0 points
  • Not applicable – Tenant occupied building: Owner/landlord does not have access to utility data = 0/0

Max of 4 points

Requirements

Complete any of the following:

  1. Obtain certification from the Environmental Protection Agency, NRCan (or equivalent) that the building’s performance meets the required performance threshold
  2. Report GHG emissions (at the organization, portfolio or building level) to a third-party verifier
  3. Disclose commitment to achieving net-zero emissions within the next 40 years publicly
  4. Seek third-party recognition that the net-zero targets are science-based

Only reporting to a third-party does not satisfy the requirements. The applicant needs to provide proof that the data has been validated by a third-party.

Documentation

Provide the following as applicable to the option(s) selected:

    • ENERGY STAR Certificate or equivalent
    • Evidence of third-party GHG Disclosure
    • Evidence of public disclosure of organization’s net-zero targets
    • Evidence that net-zero targets are science-based

Suggested Lead

In-house, with third-party support

Value

  • Third-party recognition is a way for a building to demonstrate their excellence in reducing their energy use and carbon emissions
  • Third-party recognition adds validity to a building’s energy and carbon reduction claims and adds an element of transparency in the public eye
  • A building with certification from a well-respected high-performance building program is more attractive to potential tenants and stands out from other buildings

Description

Third-party verification of data demonstrates accountability to following best practices for collecting and reporting energy and carbon data. Certifications from well-respected, high-performance building programs demonstrate commitment to operational excellence.

References

Adapted BB 3.0 Question

New in BOMA BEST 4.0