Sustainable real estate investing, while not a new concept, has been gaining popularity in the past few years. The 2015 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark Report saw participation by property companies and funds increase 11 percent from the previous year. In addition, the average GRESB score rose from 47 in 2014 to 56 in 2015. As investors show greater interest in sustainable investments and want to see quantifiable results, investment managers are working harder than ever to improve their GRESB scores.

Investor interest has evolved with growing corporate interest in sustainability; it is not only about energy and water consumption, but also overall environmental, social and governance factors (ESG).

“Early on, the focus was on energy, then a bit broader with green building certifications, and now it seems even more broadly, in that investors are asking questions about all aspects of ESG,” says David DeVos, global director of sustainability with P