The Real Estate Environmental Benchmark (REEB) has released its 2023 report providing valuable insights into the operational environmental performance of commercial properties in the UK.  The report, based on annual utility consumption data from the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) membership, offers energy and water performance benchmarks for various building types, including offices, shopping centres, industrial parks, and more. 

One of the key highlights of the 2023 update is the significant reduction in energy intensity across different building types compared to pre-pandemic benchmarks.  For example, the benchmark for air-conditioned offices, the most common building type in the dataset, has seen a reduction of around 15%.  This reflects the impact of changing societal behaviours and working patterns on commercial building energy consumption. 

The report also introduces new content, including a "REEB in Context" section, which places the REEB benchmarks within the wider landscape of energy and carbon benchmarks available in the UK and internationally, for example against industry benchmarks such as CRREM and NABERS.  This addition aims to help industry professionals make sense of the evolving commercial and regulatory environment and understand the relative performance of their buildings in comparison to other industry benchmarks. 

The REEB report serves as a valuable resource for property owners, managers, and industry professionals, providing them with the necessary data and insights to assess and improve the environmental performance of their buildings.  It also highlights the importance of benchmarking in the context of an increasingly important focus on environmental sustainability in the real estate industry. 

For more information and to access the full report, visit the Better Buildings Partnership website. 

www.betterbuildingspartnership.co.uk/our-priorities/measuring-reporting/real-estate-environmental-benchmark