Global safety science authority UL has this month announced a new partnership with InSite, a provider of building intelligence platforms that enable organizations to optimize performance of real estate assets, achieve sustainability goals, and fulfill environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting requirements.
Under the terms of the partnership, InSite will provide building owners and property managers with actionable building intelligence data to complement UL’s ESG advisory, sustainability and energy advisory, indoor environmental quality and field services.
UL’s advisory services include services such as energy and water audits, commissioning advisory services, sustainability certifications, including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Fitwel, and the WELL Building Standard.
As part of the UL and InSite combined offering, InSite’s building intelligence platform will support robust reporting and disclosure of ESG and sustainability data to key stakeholders such as GRESB. For its part, UL will leverage InSite’s extensive data integration capabilities and operational insights to provide relevant advisory expertise, such as carbon accounting and net-zero carbon emissions.
Per the 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction by GlobalABC as cited by UL, buildings generate nearly 40% of annual global CO2 emissions, including 28% from building operations.
“The commercial real estate industry has prioritized formulating building performance and ESG data as well as related reporting standards as part of overall property management operations,” noted Sean McCrady, global director of UL’s Asset and Sustainability Performance group. “UL’s new partnership with InSite will allow us to serve customers with an end-to-end technology and advisory solution to help inform these critical business decisions, including asset allocation, property management company selection and overall investment strategies.”
UL notes that ESG reporting for a building encompasses a variety of environmental metrics; and that, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, other environmental factors should be considered for ESG reporting, including energy use, water consumption, solid waste and biodiversity.
Francis Gangemi, InSite’s president, concluded, “We are extremely excited about our new partnership with UL and the positive impact it will have on our customers. This partnership allows us to continue monitoring and reporting building performance, sustainability and ESG data while enriching and elevating our clients’ sustainability journeys with UL’s industry-leading advisory."
