Purpose
This article explains how targets and benchmarks work in Scaler, how to set them up in the Data Collection Portal, and where they appear in the Analytics Portal and Roadmaps.
It is intended for users who want to:
- Define internal performance targets
- Compare portfolio performance against industry benchmarks
- Visualise progress over time in analytics and roadmap views
Core concepts: targets vs. benchmarks
What is a target?
Targets are internal performance objectives set by your organisation (for example, energy use intensity reductions or emissions targets).
What is a benchmark?
Benchmarks represent external reference points, such as industry averages or third-party standards, used to compare performance.
Functionally, targets and benchmarks behave in the same way in Scaler. The key difference is intent: targets are goals; benchmarks are comparators.
Target types in Scaler
Single-year targets
Single-year targets define a specific value for a single reporting year.
They:
- Apply to Energy, GHG emissions, Water, Waste, and Building Certifications
- Appear on applicable Analytics dashboards
- Support metrics such as:
- Use intensity
- Data coverage
- Absolute consumption
Other target aspects
Targets can also be created for aspects outside of Energy, GHG emissions, Water, Waste, and Building Certifications.
These targets are currently stored for record-keeping purposes only and are not visualised in Analytics or Roadmaps. This allows organisations to document internal objectives even when they are not yet supported in Scaler’s dashboards.
Pathway targets
Pathway targets define multi-year trajectories and are used in Roadmaps.
They:
- Apply to Energy, GHG emissions, or CO₂
- Appear in the Roadmaps tool, not standard analytics charts
- Support two strategies:
- Steady (linear start → end)
- Manual input (custom value per year through 2050)
Default vs. custom targets
Default (preloaded) targets
Scaler includes preloaded pathway targets, such as:
- CRREM 1.5°C (Paris-aligned)
- CRREM 2.0°C
- North America pathways
- DGBC Netherlands pathways
These can be toggled on or off to control whether they appear in Analytics and Roadmaps.
CRREM pathways as targets in practice
Although CRREM pathways are developed and maintained by a third party (CRREM), many organisations adopt them as their de facto decarbonisation targets rather than defining fully custom pathways.
In Scaler, CRREM pathways therefore behave like targets: they can be enabled or disabled, selected in analytics and roadmaps, and used to track performance over time against a defined trajectory.
Custom targets
You can create your own targets, either:
- Portfolio-wide, or
- Property subtype-specific
Property subtype targets only appear when analytics are filtered to the relevant subtype and country.
Where targets and benchmarks are configured
All setup happens in the Data Collection Portal.
Navigation path:
Data Collection Portal → Portfolio → Targets & Benchmarks
This section contains two tabs:
- Targets
- Benchmarks
Creating a target
Step 1: Choose scope
Targets can be:
- Portfolio-wide, or
- Property subtype-specific
Step 2: Define target details
When creating a target, you specify:
- Target name
- Whether it is relevant for GRESB reporting
- Target type (single-year or pathway)
- Performance aspect (Energy, GHG, Water, Waste, Certifications)
- Metric (e.g. use intensity, absolute, coverage)
- Target year(s) and value(s)
- Optional notes and owner
Step 3: Control visibility
Each target can be toggled on or off to control whether it appears in Analytics or Roadmaps.
Benchmarks in Scaler
Default benchmarks
Scaler includes a large set of preloaded benchmarks, including:
- AI-derived benchmarks from Scaler’s dataset
- EPA benchmarks (US)
Each benchmark specifies:
- Property type and subtype
- Country applicability
- Aspect and metric
You can search, filter, and toggle these benchmarks on or off.
Custom benchmarks
Custom benchmarks can also be created:
- Portfolio-wide, or
- Property subtype-specific
Setup mirrors the target creation flow:
- Name
- Aspect
- Metric
- Benchmark year
- Benchmark value
Viewing targets and benchmarks in Analytics
Navigation path:
Analytics Portal → Portfolio → Analytics
Single-year targets and benchmarks
On supported graphs:
- A “Select target and benchmark” dropdown appears in the top-right
- Selecting one overlays a dotted reference line
- If none exist, an “Add target or benchmark” link is shown
Property subtype behaviour
Subtype-specific targets or benchmarks only appear when:
- The graph is filtered by the relevant country and property subtype
Viewing pathway targets in Roadmaps
Navigation path:
Analytics Portal → Portfolio → Roadmaps
- Pathway targets appear in Roadmaps only
- Multiple pathways can be selected using the pathway selector
- Subtype-specific pathways appear only when filtering by subtype and country
Note: Pathway targets currently apply only to Energy and GHG emissions, not Water or Waste.
Additional notes and tips
- Target lines can be hidden or shown by interacting with the chart legend
- Bulk target creation or additional preloaded targets can be requested via the Scaler team