Climate Bonds Building Criteria

The Climate Bonds Building Criteria establish standards for certifying assets, entities, and debt instruments in the building sector to ensure they contribute to a zero-carbon future by 2050. Certification is based on a compliance process involving disclosure and GHG mitigation, with the latter achieved through either absolute performance (using trajectories or proxies) or relative performance (demonstrating significant emissions reductions during retrofitting). New buildings face stricter requirements, including a total ban on fossil fuels for heating, hot water, cooking, and on-site electricity, alongside mandates for electrification and electric mobility infrastructure.

• Buildings are a major contributor to global climate change, accounting for approximately 40% of all global emissions, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates the sector is currently failing to meet the performance targets necessary to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• To achieve certification, assets must meet GHG mitigation requirements through one of two paths: Absolute Performance, which uses linear trajectories reaching net-zero by 2050 or approved proxies for markets lacking data, or Relative Performance, which requires retrofitting projects to show a 30% to 50% improvement in emissions intensity against a pre-retrofit baseline.
• As of December 2023, new commercial and residential buildings must adhere to stricter requirements to be net-zero ready, including a prohibition on fossil fuels for cooking, heating, hot water, and on-site electricity generation, a requirement for electrification, and the provision of electric mobility infrastructure in on-site parking.
• New buildings are subject to additional reporting mandates, including accounting for Scope 3 emissions according to GHG Protocol rules and providing a Whole Life Carbon Assessment starting January 1, 2026.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (n.d.). Climate Bonds Building Criteria. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/sector-criteria-buildings-brochure-v2-1-dec2023.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Climate Bonds Building Criteria. n.d. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/sector-criteria-buildings-brochure-v2-1-dec2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Climate Bonds Building Criteria |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/sector-criteria-buildings-brochure-v2-1-dec2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiativendclimate, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Climate Bonds Building Criteria}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/sector-criteria-buildings-brochure-v2-1-dec2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }