# ESG mandates and tenant filtering

> Institutional tenants now filter buildings on ESG performance before commercial terms.

**Canonical URL:** https://classa.info/guides/esg-mandates-and-tenant-filtering
**Page type:** guide
**Last updated:** 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
**License:** CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info).

## TL;DR
- Institutional tenants now filter buildings on ESG performance before commercial terms.
- Minimum bar typically LEED Gold / BREEAM Excellent / EPC B for new requirements.
- Trophy bar is LEED Platinum / BREEAM Outstanding / EPC A.
- MEES (UK) and Décret tertiaire (France) now constrain landlord ability to lease sub-spec stock.
- Landlords with sub-bar buildings face structural lease-up risk and accelerated repositioning.

## FAQ
### Can a landlord lease a sub-bar building at a discount?
Increasingly, no — institutional tenants exclude sub-bar buildings entirely. Smaller, less ESG-mature tenants will lease at a discount, but the bid stack is structurally thinner.

### Is LEED Platinum still the trophy bar?
It remains a credible trophy benchmark in the US. In Europe, BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS UK 5★, or DGNB Gold are increasingly used. Some trophy buildings now pursue dual certification for global tenant relevance.

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Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/guides/esg-mandates-and-tenant-filtering), updated 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z.