It represents a big shift in thinking about office buildings as the environmental performance of buildings becomes an increasingly important issue for owners, occupiers, design teams and contractors. This paper gives an overview of the methods available to define and record performance data and where to look for further detailed guidance. It focuses on operational energy, carbon footprint, water consumption and occupant satisfaction. These are the issues that are important to landlords and tenants, and where data can be readily recorded, evaluated and benchmarked.

This report focuses on the actual performance of buildings rather than the potential for a building to be energy, carbon or water efficient.