Rising detrimental global environmental statistics and measurable effects have caused the sustainable building concept to gain momentum. As a result, many sustainable building rating systems and assessment tools have been conceived and are being put into practice around the world. However, with different regions producing their own different interpretations on how to measure sustainability in buildings, a fragmented market has been produced. This study carries out a quantitative and qualitative literature review to systematically analyze 10 leading rating systems, exploring their rating categories, subsets of sustainability, innovation considerations, and rating mechanisms, in order to derive key common themes for a common global consensus. The results of this study were used to propose a framework and rating mechanism to reduce the heterogeneity within the market.