Understanding where restoration contractor data appears in GRESB and CDP disclosures helps contractors frame their value proposition and helps property managers understand what they need from their vendor base. The specific indicators, scoring weight, and data format requirements are all defined — the gap has been the absence of a contractor-side standard for producing the data.
Where Restoration Emissions Appear in GRESB
The GRESB Real Estate Assessment includes GHG Emissions indicators (GHG1–GHG4) and a Supply Chain section covering ESG engagement with contractors. Restoration emissions appear in both.
In the GHG Emissions section, restoration contractor activity contributes to Scope 3 disclosures under Category 1 (purchased services/materials) and Category 5 (waste). GRESB asks whether companies have quantified Scope 3 emissions, which categories are covered, and the data quality (primary vs. estimated). Companies with primary contractor data score higher on the data quality indicator.
In the Supply Chain section, GRESB asks whether the company has engaged with major contractors to understand and reduce emissions. A restoration contractor providing RCP-format per-job carbon reports is supply chain engagement evidence — the property manager can point to those reports as documentation of active contractor engagement on emissions transparency.
Where Restoration Emissions Appear in CDP
CDP’s Climate questionnaire asks companies to report Scope 3 emissions by category with data quality ratings. For commercial real estate companies, restoration contractor emissions sit primarily in Category 1 and Category 5. CDP also asks about supplier engagement on climate change, including whether companies require suppliers to report their emissions.
The Data Format Required
Both GRESB and CDP require: tCO2e by GHG Protocol Scope 3 category, attributable to a specific reporting period, with a methodology description, and evidence of supply chain engagement. An RCP per-job carbon report provides all four elements — the tCO2e figure by category, the reporting period (job dates), the methodology (RCP v1.0, GHG Protocol, EPA/DEFRA factors), and evidence of contractor engagement (the report itself demonstrates communication about emissions).
Aggregating to Portfolio Level
GRESB and CDP require portfolio-level Scope 3 disclosures — totals across all managed properties in the reporting period. The consistent format of RCP reports makes this aggregation straightforward: the same categories appear in every report, allowing simple summation. This is one of the primary reasons standardization matters — if each contractor produces a differently structured report, the ESG team has to reconcile formats before aggregating. RCP eliminates that step.
Does GRESB require restoration contractors to report directly to GRESB?
No. Restoration contractors report to their property manager clients, who incorporate the data into their GRESB response. GRESB does not have a direct contractor reporting mechanism.
What GRESB score improvement can a property manager expect from switching to primary contractor data?
Moving from spend-based estimates to primary data for a major Scope 3 category improves the data quality indicator score, which contributes to the overall Management score component. Specific score impact depends on the company’s current data quality profile.
How does the RCP methodology citation appear in a CDP response?
In the methodology description field for Scope 3 Category 1 or 5: “Restoration contractor emissions calculated using primary data provided by contractors reporting per the Restoration Carbon Protocol v1.0 (GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain Standard methodology).”
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