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Common building sustainability certifications in Taiwan include international systems like LEED (Green Building), WELL (Healthy Building), and GRESB (Real Estate Portfolio Rating), as well as local certifications such as the EEWH Green Building Label, Smart Building Label, BERS (Building Energy Efficiency Label), and LEBR (Low Carbon Building Label). The choice depends on the objective: LEED/WELL/GRESB to attract international tenants or investors; WELL if employee health is a priority; and EEWH, BERS, or LEBR if applying for floor area ratio bonuses or complying with regulations.

LEED is an international certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), highly recognized by international tenants and foreign investors; EEWH is a local certification from Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior, linked to incentives such as floor area ratio bonuses and urban planning approvals. While their assessment logics differ, their documentation can be largely shared, and applying for both simultaneously can spread costs; many landmark commercial office buildings adopt a dual-certification strategy.

Certification consultants are responsible for feasibility assessments, scoring strategy planning, cross-team integration (architects, MEPs, interior designers), document preparation, and review and defense. Certification involves hundreds of technical documents and simulation analyses, and self-application often results in additional costs due to strategic errors; the value of consultants lies in achieving the target rating at the lowest possible cost.

Depending on the type of certification and the stage of the project: LEED or WELL certifications for new construction projects typically take 2–4 years from design to completion; certifications for existing buildings take approximately 6–18 months; GRESB ratings open in April and close in July each year, operating on an annual cycle. The earlier the process is implemented in the design phase, the better the timeline and cost-effectiveness.

The total cost includes the certification body registration and review fees, consultant service fees, and additional engineering costs incurred to achieve compliance. Certification fees are calculated based on floor area; consultant fees are quoted based on project size and target level; incremental engineering costs, if incorporated in the early design phase, can typically be kept within 1-3% of the total cost. Actual amounts will be quoted upon negotiation based on project conditions.

Green building and healthy building certifications are the most concrete third-party evidence for the environmental (E) and social (S) aspects of an ESG report, directly corresponding to GRI, SASB disclosure indicators, and GRESB scoring items. Obtaining building certification first, and then incorporating it into a sustainability report, is the most efficient ESG path for real estate companies.

GreenJump Sustainability is a sustainable building consultancy founded in Taiwan in 2014. Its services cover LEED, WELL, GRESB, EEWH, carbon asset management, carbon credit development, and AI-based energy-saving control. The company is an official GRESB partner, an IWBI Keystone member, and the only WELL EP provider in Taiwan, with offices in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Representative cases include: the first international LEED WELL Gold certified commercial office building in Taiwan (Taipei World Trade Center International Trade Building), Dingyue Office Park receiving a GRESB five-star rating (the first in Taiwan), the first LEED certified McDonald's in Taiwan, the world's first WELL semiconductor factory, and the world's first building demolition project to implement UL2799 zero waste disposal certification.

Yes. Both WELL and LEED have an Interior category, applicable to single-story offices; LEED also has an Existing Building Operations (O M) category. Small and medium-sized enterprises often start with WELL certification or energy diagnostics for their offices, which is far less costly than whole-building certification and can also serve as ESG evidence.

Taiwan's 2050 Net-Zero Pathway requires the construction sector to gradually achieve near-zero carbon buildings, and the Financial Supervisory Commission also requires listed companies to disclose climate risks. Practical impacts include: new construction projects will face energy efficiency regulations (BERS labeling), existing buildings will need energy-saving improvements, and investors and tenants will begin to screen assets based on ESG performance. Assets that have early certification and carbon management will enjoy valuation and rental advantages.