Green Business Certification

What Green Business Certification does

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is a Washington, D.C.-based independent certification and credentialing organization founded in 1997 that administers LEED and a portfolio of related sustainability rating systems (TRUE, SITES, PEER, EDGE, Parksmart, WELL, ICP) on behalf of the U.S. Green Building Council. The company issues third-party verified certifications to real estate, industrial, infrastructure, and municipal projects across 176+ countries and territories, and credentials 204,000+ green building and sustainability professionals. GBCI operates wholly-owned regional subsidiaries in China, India, Europe, MENA, Mexico, and Canada, and runs the global Greenbuild conference series.

The company's core technology is the Arc performance platform, which measures and benchmarks sustainability performance across energy, emissions, waste, water, transportation, and human experience categories, and supports LEED certification pathways and portfolio-level management through integrations with partners including Energy Star Portfolio Manager, Measurabl, Arbnco, Schneider Electric, and Skanska. Arc is offered under a freemium model (Arc for All) with a paid Performance Pro training tier.

GBCI's revenue model is primarily project- and credential-based: project owners pay certification fees for LEED, TRUE, SITES, PEER, EDGE, Parksmart, and WELL ratings; professionals pay exam and maintenance fees for LEED credentials, WELL AP, SITES AP, City Climate Planner, Sustainability Excellence (SEA/SEP), LEED Green Rater, TRUE Advisor, and EDGE Expert. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer segments span commercial real estate, industrial manufacturing, government/municipalities, utilities, parks/recreation, and sustainability professionals.

Name

Green Business Certification

Legal name

Green Business Certification Inc.

Website

https://gbci.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is a Washington, D.C.-based independent organization that administers LEED and related sustainability rating systems (TRUE, SITES, PEER, EDGE, Parksmart, WELL) and credentials green building professionals across 176+ countries, serving building owners, developers, manufacturers, utilities, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Green Building Certification

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Green building certification
• Sustainability credentials
• LEED certification
• Building performance benchmarking
• Environmental certification services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Services: GBCI provides third-party certification services for various green building and sustainability rating systems including LEED, TRUE, SITES, PEER, EDGE, Parksmart, and WELL. Projects pay certification fees to achieve certification.
2. Professional Credentials: GBCI offers professional credentials including LEED credentials, WELL AP, SITES AP, City Climate Planner, Sustainability Excellence (SEA/SEP), LEED Green Rater, TRUE Advisor, and EDGE Expert. Professionals pay for credentialing exams and ongoing maintenance.
3. Arc Platform Services: Arc performance platform provides sustainability performance measurement and benchmarking services. Arc for All is free for all projects; Arc Performance Pro training provides additional educational services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is a private certification and credentialing organization that independently verifies sustainability performance against globally recognized standards. It administers LEED, SITES, TRUE Zero Waste, PEER, ICP, Parksmart, EDGE, and WELL certifications, operates the Arc performance platform for benchmarking sustainability metrics, and offers a suite of professional credentials (LEED credentials, WELL AP, SITES AP, City Climate Planner, SEA/SEP, LEED Green Rater, TRUE Advisor, EDGE Expert) for green building professionals.

Product overview

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is a certification and credentialing organization that independently verifies sustainability performance against globally recognized standards. The company operates a portfolio of certification programs centered around LEED (the world's most widely used green building rating system) and extends its reach through the Arc performance platform for tracking and benchmarking sustainability metrics. GBCI's certification offerings include SITES (sustainable landscapes), TRUE (zero waste), PEER (power systems), ICP (energy efficiency retrofits), EDGE (resource-efficient buildings), WELL (health and wellness in buildings), and Parksmart (sustainable parking). The company also administers a comprehensive credentialing program with professional credentials including LEED credentials, WELL AP, SITES AP, City Climate Planner, Sustainability Excellence (SEA/SEP), LEED Green Rater, TRUE Advisor, and EDGE Expert. The Arc platform serves as both a standalone performance management tool and as the technology backbone enabling LEED certification through integrations with partners like Energy Star Portfolio Manager, Measurabl, Arbnco, Commutifi, Qlear, Schneider Electric, and B-line.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arc: Performance platform for measuring and benchmarking sustainability performance across energy, emissions, waste, water, and transportation.
• LEED
• TRUE
• SITES
• PEER
• EDGE
• Parksmart
• ICP

Products and services

• LEED Certification LEED certification provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings that offer environmental, social, and governance benefits. Available to building owners, developers, and operators worldwide.
• SITES Certification SITES is a comprehensive rating system for designing, developing and maintaining sustainable landscapes, protecting and enhancing ecosystem benefits from land resources. For parks, public spaces, and landscapes seeking sustainable development certification.
• TRUE Zero Waste Certification TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste certification promotes sustainable resource management and waste reduction practices, helping facilities achieve minimum 90% waste diversion and improve environmental outcomes. For organizations pursuing zero waste certification.
• PEER Certification PEER is the nation's first rating system for measuring and improving power system performance, reliability, and sustainability of electricity delivery systems. For electric utilities, campus power systems, and energy infrastructure.
• ICP (Investor Confidence Project) Certification ICP is a global standard for developing and measuring energy efficiency retrofits in commercial and multifamily residential buildings. For building owners and energy retrofit project developers.
• Parksmart Certification Parksmart certification supports sustainable parking structure design and operations to reduce costs, increase energy efficiency, and improve lighting and ventilation for smarter mobility. For parking structure owners and operators.
• EDGE Certification EDGE certification for green buildings focuses on enhancing the resource efficiency of buildings by identifying cost-effective measures. For developers, owners, and project teams seeking resource-efficient building certification.
• Arc Performance Platform Arc is a performance platform that measures and benchmarks sustainability performance across energy, water, waste, transportation, and human experience categories, helping users achieve LEED certification and manage portfolios. Available free through Arc for All initiative.
• Arc PERFORM Arc PERFORM supports real estate portfolios in achieving measurable, third-party-verified sustainability goals across energy, emissions, waste, and other performance areas. For real estate portfolio managers.
• Guiding Principles GBCI provides federal agencies and the Department of Defense with analysis and technical support to achieve the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings. For U.S. federal agencies and DoD facilities.
• LEED Professional Credentials LEED professional credentials denote proficiency in sustainable design, construction and operations standards, including LEED Green Associate and LEED AP credentials. For architects, engineers, contractors, and sustainability professionals.
• City Climate Planner Program City Climate Planner credential helps city staff and partners advance local climate action by focusing on community-level greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Developed in partnership with World Bank Group, C40 Cities, ICLEI, and World Resources Institute.
• WELL AP Credential WELL AP credential demonstrates proficiency in the WELL Building Standard and human health optimization in the built environment. For sustainability and wellness professionals.
• ISSP Professional Credentials GBCI now fully maintains and delivers ISSP Sustainability Associate (ISSP-SA) and ISSP Certified Sustainability Professional (ISSP-CSP) credentials globally. For sustainability professionals seeking competency verification.

Quantifiable outcome

• LEED-certified buildings use less energy and water, reduce air pollution, provide cleaner air indoors, and save money for businesses and families
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core, flagship and minor.

• GBCI CanadaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 February 2018GBCI Canada opened as second largest market for LEED green building certification to serve the Canadian market.
• SkanskacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Insight feature developed in partnership with Skanska over two years. Skanska is a project development and construction group and USGBC member company. Newest integration partner for Arc platform.
• International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2017GBCI partnered with ISSP in 2017 to promote green business and sustainability credentials. GBCI now fully maintains and delivers ISSP Sustainability Associate (ISSP-SA) and ISSP Certified Sustainability Professional (ISSP-CSP) credentials globally.
• The World Bank GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2017Led the development of the City Climate Planner program along with C40 Cities, ICLEI, and World Resources Institute, through funding provided by the Korean Green Growth Trust Fund. GBCI leads implementation of the program.
• C40 CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2017Partnered with GBCI, World Bank, ICLEI, and WRI to develop the City Climate Planner program for advancing local climate initiatives in cities worldwide.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2017Partnered with GBCI, World Bank, and C40 to create the City Climate Planner program for city climate planning professionals.
• World Resources InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2017Partnered with GBCI, World Bank, C40, and ICLEI to develop the City Climate Planner program.
• Sustentabilidad para MéxicoregionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2017Partnership established GBCI México to serve the Mexican and Latin American market for green building certification.
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBCI is the certification arm of USGBC, the creator of LEED. GBCI independently verifies sustainability performance against globally recognized standards established by USGBC. The organizations work together on LEED certification, Arc platform, and green building initiatives globally.
• Arc PlatformcoreTechnology or IntegrationArc is an affiliate of USGBC that provides a performance platform for measuring and benchmarking sustainability performance. Arc supports LEED certification and helps collect, manage and benchmark green performance data.
• Shanghai Tower Construction and Development Co., Ltd.flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLEED Platinum Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China, hosted Greenbuild China 2018 conference.
• International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGBC and IWBI released streamlined certification pathway for LEED and WELL buildings. GBCI provides third-party certification support for WELL Health-Safety Rating.
• GRESBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBCI transitioned ownership of GRESB. GRESB provides ESG data for real assets and partners on green bond guidelines for real estate sector. GRESB participants include CommonWealth Partners, Oxford Properties, and others recognized in Leadership Awards.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRPA Risk Assessment Tool used for SITES Safety First Pilot Credit encouraging projects to undertake risk assessments during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Green Sports AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst organization to put Arc Re-Entry into action through Ready to Play initiative helping sporting leagues, teams, and venues reopen safely.
• COIMAregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerItalian real estate company whose visionary work integrated tradition with innovation to create Porta Nuova as one of the most iconic urban regeneration initiatives. COIMA has 31 LEED buildings in Milan representing nearly 40% of the city's certified projects.
• Green Building Council ItaliaregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization advancing green building work in Italy alongside GBCI Europe and ULI.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)regionalGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization promoting urban development culture and LEED certification awareness in Italy.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BRE Group (BREEAM): Operator of BREEAM, the dominant green building certification scheme in the UK and much of Europe. BREEAM is GBCI's most direct global competitor because both organizations administer third-party building sustainability certification against recognized rating systems for the same asset class.
• International WELL Building Institute (IWBI): IWBI administers the WELL Building Standard, which GBCI itself certifies on behalf of IWBI. IWBI is the closest comparable peer in terms of mission, certification-economics, and target customers (building owners pursuing health/wellness certification), and GBCI's streamlined LEED+WELL pathway ties the two organizations together commercially.
• EDGE Buildings (IFC / World Bank Group): EDGE is an IFC (World Bank Group) green building certification focused on cost-effective resource efficiency in emerging markets, and GBCI actually administers EDGE certification. EDGE is directly comparable as a competing certification scheme targeting developers in Asia, Latin America, and Africa where LEED is also expanding.

Emerging players

• Measurabl: Measurabl is a SaaS platform for commercial real estate ESG data management and benchmarking and is an integration partner for GBCI's Arc platform. It is comparable as a sustainability data and benchmarking platform serving many of the same portfolio customers (REITs, landlords) and is positioned as both a complement and potential competitor to Arc.
• GRESB: GRESB is the global ESG benchmark for real assets (real estate and infrastructure), formerly owned by GBCI before the November 2020 transition. It is comparable because it sits in the same real-asset sustainability verification space and overlaps with GBCI's enterprise customers (Oxford Properties, CommonWealth Partners).

Broad incumbents

• ASTM International: ASTM is a long-established standards development and conformity assessment organization whose sustainability standards (e.g., E60 committee) overlap with LEED-style building performance frameworks. Comparable as a broad incumbent that sets and verifies against industry-recognized sustainability and performance standards.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories): UL is a large, established testing, inspection, and certification company operating across many industries. It is comparable to GBCI as a broad incumbent in third-party certification services that has expanded into sustainability ratings and adjacent ESG verticals, though UL is much more diversified than GBCI.

Regional players

• Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA): GBCA administers the Green Star rating system across Australia and New Zealand, performing the same function for Australian buildings that GBCI/USGBC performs via LEED in the U.S. It is a comparable regional certification body with overlapping customers (developers, owners, government) and similar credentialing programs.
• Green Building Council Brasil (GBC Brasil): Brazil's national green building council and a regional LEED partner that drives certification adoption locally and has placed Brazil in the global top 10 for LEED. Comparable as a regional affiliate/operator that channels demand into LEED while also influencing local sustainability standards.
• DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council): DGNB runs Germany's national sustainable building certification system and has growing influence across the DACH region and parts of Europe. It is comparable to GBCI because it operates as a national-level green building rating body with third-party verification, primarily competing for projects in German-speaking Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Green Business Certification