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Green exiting cities

Improving the sustainability of existing buildings is critical to forging a better built environment. Green Globes for Existing Buildings 2021 is a science-based, user-friendly benchmarking and certification program, evaluating the environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and resilience of an individual building or an entire portfolio.   

Developed using applicable content from ANSI/GBI 01-2019 Green Globes Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings (Green Globes NC 2019), Green Globes EB 2021 provides a comprehensive roadmap to practitioners who are implementing sustainability programs or who wish to expand existing sustainability programs. Criteria evaluated within Green Globes EB 2021 support environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals and corporate sustainability reporting (CSR).

The Green Globes EB questionnaire is an educational tool for building/portfolio owners, property managers, and sustainability professionals and allows users to assess opportunities for energy savings, reduce environmental impacts, and lower maintenance costs. Users are encouraged to import energy, water, emissions, and waste data to establish baselines, measure progress, and compare performance. 

Green Globes for Existing Buildings 2021 Point Allocation

• ESG Management 105 points
• Site 95 points
• Energy 310 points
• Water 185 points
• Materials 100 points
• Indoor Environmental Quality 205 points

        TOTAL: 1000 POINTS  

Eligibility Requirements

Because every project is unique, GBI’s Green Globes doesn’t penalize projects for criteria that don’t apply to the building function, location, or unique requirements. Green Globes offers multiple pathways to achieve credit for several criteria, uses weighted criteria according to environmental impact and allows for tiered and partial credit for criteria.

Eligible buildings must:

• Be designed for occupancy
• Have conditioned space
• Has been occupied longer than 18 months and/or more than 12 consecutive months utility data available
• Be at least 400 gross square feet in size

If you have a multifamily project that is pursuing financial incentive, please visit the Green Globes Multifamily for EB protocol.

Assessment and Certification Process

The Green Globes for Existing Building assessment process includes one mandatory third-party assessment and typically completes within three to five months. 

Green Globes Estimated Work Hours

The hours to complete Green Globes assessments vary based upon the project and level of user experience. The tables below provide average time frames.