GBI LAUNCHES GLOBAL BUILDING CERTIFICATION TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY, PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 (Bernama) -- The Green Building Initiative (GBI) announced the global launch of Ascent Building Certification, a science-based whole building programme designed to evaluate sustainability, health, and resilience practices for commercial real estate across regions and portfolios.

Ascent will be available for new and existing projects in the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), and other international markets, excluding Canada and the United States, to improve the built environment’s impact on climate and society.

Ascent Building Certification represents a global expansion of GBI’s trusted third-party assessment and certification programmes. GBI has certified over 93 million square metres (one billion square feet) of commercial real estate with its flagship certification, Green Globes.

The strong adoption of Green Globes and market demand for consistent, proven, and transparent methodology across borders fuelled the decision to expand globally under the Ascent brand, according to a statement.

Designed for owners and project teams managing assets in all lifecycle phases, Ascent provides a consensus-based framework, consistent with Green Globes, that adapts to local standards and regulatory requirements, offering transparency, trustworthy independent assessment, and practical usability without unnecessary administrative burden.

“Building owners and investors are facing increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable performance and return on investment across global portfolios. GBI’s Ascent Building Certification answers that demand with a practical, transparent, and ESG-aligned approach,” said GBI chief executive officer, Vicki Worden.

The certification is specifically designed for organisations seeking user-friendly, portfolio-ready certification. Key features include global consistency with local relevance through a unified framework, transparent scoring, and independent third-party assessments conducted via GBI’s established assessor network.

The programme also provides user-friendly software tools featuring centralised reporting dashboards and aggregated portfolio scoring, along with dedicated expert support from GBI’s green building specialists and project managers.

Certification levels align with the Green Globes One through Four rating system, and performance categories address critical building outcomes and Environmental Assessment Areas, including project management and responsible business practices, site, energy, water, materials, and indoor environment.

-- BERNAMA