An international alliance between leading green building organisations is expanding its efforts to drive sustainable finance towards a net-zero built environment.

The UK-based Building Research Establishment (BRE), Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) have welcomed four new partners — the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), GRESB, the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), and the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM).

The growing alliance will publish a practical guide next month, titled Financing Transformation: A Guide to Green Building for Green Bonds and Green Loans.

This guide will demonstrate how green building certification schemes ensure compliance with sustainable finance frameworks like the EU and UK taxonomies.

It aims to align the built environment with a 1.5 degrees Celsius climate trajectory.

“The Singapore Green Building Council is proud to join this alliance focused on unlocking sustainable finance for green buildings.

“Participation alongside fellow leading green building councils like the USGBC and GBCA strengthens our collective voice and accelerates global progress towards a net-zero future,” said Yvonne Soh, SGBC Executive Director.

With SGBC’s Green Mark certification joining the guide, it will feature rating systems used across every continent.

This shows how the schemes can unlock capital for green building projects.

“GRESB recognises green building as an important tool to inform institutional investment in real assets.

“The new guide will help increase the social and environmental impact of capital invested in green bonds and loans.,” said Dr Chris Pyke, GRESB Chief Innovation Officer.

Aishwarya Sankar, Climate Bonds Buildings Analyst, added: “This partnership reaffirms our commitment to a financially sound, environmentally sustainable global economy.”

CRREM’s involvement ensures the collaboration aligns with key science-based decarbonisation pathways for the sector.

“These various rating tools are essential for verifying and implementing measures to address the urgent need to decarbonise and retrofit assets in alignment with our 1.5 degrees Celsius commitments,” said Prof. Dr Sven Bienert of CRREM.

The alliance will hold an event during London Climate Action Week on 27 June 2024 to mark the guide’s publication, convening sustainable development leaders to discuss accelerating climate action.