Demand for data centers is booming, and with it comes heightened market scrutiny on how to increase their sustainability. CBRE research shows Asia Pacific’s data center inventory increased by 22 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, to 2,996 megawatts. Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore lead the way, with strong capacity pipelines. This growth is driven by significant increases in cloud computing, streaming services and artificial intelligence demand.

Within the GRESB Benchmarks, data center assets can report under either the Real Estate or Infrastructure Asset Assessments. The choice depends on the emphasis of the investor or manager. Data centers focused on strong leasing fundamentals and high-quality tenants usually report under real estate, while those seen as operator