Within the framework of the concept of sustainable development, issues of energy efficiency, environmental safety, minimization of anthropogenic impact on the environment are of particular relevance. In construction, these theses are projected onto the segment of energy-efficient, “green” construction. Nowadays, the development of energy-efficient construction in Russia is progressing at a slow pace, and this is primarily due to the lack of an integrated energy management system, environmental certification of construction products, and institutional features of the real estate market. The authors systematized the methods of improving energy efficiency and greening of construction regarding the types of real estate, analyzed the main global and Russian environmental certification systems in construction, identified the features, advantages and disadvantages of each system, substantiated the need to ensure the generally accepted Russian certification system. The problem of enhancing energy-efficient construction is also interconnected with the need to increase the level of innovation in construction, which is substantiated by the authors in the paper. The authors substantiated the need to change the criteria for monitoring investment projects, taking into account the optimization of energy efficiency and environmental performance of real estate.