Key takeaways
- 68% of GRESB submission failures trace back to data gaps — not building performance. The buildings are often performing well; the data behind them is not.
- Over 2,000 entities now report to GRESB, representing $8.8 trillion in AUM, and more than 150 institutional investors use the benchmarks for allocation decisions.
- Below 75% coverage, scoring is blocked entirely; under 12 months of completeness, the submission is flagged incomplete. These are infrastructure problems, not performance problems.
- EDRA scores data readiness before submission, turning a failed-submission risk into a 48-hour pre-flight check — not a 12-month loss.
Every year, thousands of real estate portfolios submit to GRESB expecting their sustainability investments to translate into strong scores. The reality is starkly different. 68% of submission failures trace back to data gaps — not building performance. The buildings are often performing well. The data behind them is not.
The numbers tell the story
Over 2,000 entities now report to GRESB, representing $8.8 trillion in assets under management. More than 150 institutional investors use these benchmarks to make allocation decisions. Yet most submitters don't know their coverage percentage before hitting the submit button. When coverage falls below 75%, scoring is blocked entirely. When completeness drops under 12 months, the submission is flagged as incomplete. These aren't performance problems — they're infrastructure problems.
A green building can still fail
The root cause is a disconnect between ESG strategy and data operations. Fund managers invest in energy-efficient systems, green building certifications, and sustainability consultants. But the metering infrastructure, billing data collection, and utility records that feed the actual submission remain fragmented. A building can have best-in-class HVAC and still fail GRESB because three of its eight meters aren't reporting data.
This is the problem EDRA was designed to solve. By scoring data readiness before submission — measuring coverage, completeness, continuity, structural integrity, and governance — portfolios can identify and close gaps weeks before the GRESB deadline. The question isn't whether your buildings are green. It's whether your data can prove it.
The cost of not knowing is always higher than finding out. A failed submission means 12 months lost, non-refundable fees, and damaged credibility with investors who expected a rating. EDRA turns that risk into a pre-flight check — one that takes 48 hours, not 12 months.
A 15-asset office portfolio discovered 4 coverage gaps via EDRA scoring, fixed them in 3 weeks, and qualified for GRESB submission for the first time. The gaps were in tenant-metered areas where utility data had never been collected — invisible without a systematic data readiness scan.
Download Case Study (PDF)Frequently asked questions
Why do most GRESB submissions fail?
68% of GRESB submission failures trace back to data gaps, not building performance. The buildings are often performing well — the data behind them is fragmented. When coverage falls below 75%, scoring is blocked entirely; when completeness drops under 12 months, the submission is flagged as incomplete. These are infrastructure problems, not performance problems.
Can a high-performing building still fail GRESB?
Yes. A building can have best-in-class HVAC and green certifications and still fail GRESB because three of its eight meters aren't reporting data. GRESB scores the dataset, not the intent — so fragmented metering, billing, and utility records can sink an otherwise efficient asset regardless of how green it is.
What does it cost to fail a GRESB submission?
A failed submission means 12 months lost, non-refundable fees, and damaged credibility with investors who expected a rating. With more than 150 institutional investors using GRESB benchmarks to make allocation decisions, the cost of not knowing your data readiness is always higher than finding out before you submit.
How does EDRA prevent GRESB data failures?
EDRA scores data readiness before submission — measuring coverage, completeness, continuity, structural integrity, and governance — so portfolios can identify and close gaps weeks before the GRESB deadline. It turns the risk of a failed submission into a pre-flight check that takes 48 hours, not 12 months.