The construction industry contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, prompting the need for standardised frameworks that promote sustainable building practices. This paper presents a comparative review of four major green building rating systems: LEED (United States), BREEAM (United Kingdom), CASBEE (Japan), and GBI (Malaysia). Drawing on academic literature and selected case studies, the study assesses the strengths, limitations, and alignment of each system with sustainability goals. Findings indicate that LEED consistently performs well in comparative scoring due to its emphasis on energy efficiency and flexibility in innovation. BREEAM, the most established system, excels in institutional applications but is less adaptable outside the UK. CASBEE integrates urban sustainability and aligns strongly with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while GBI demonstrates effectiveness in Malaysia's public sector, particularly in tropical energy management and climate-responsive design. However, all systems share common limitations, including weak integration of economic sustainability metrics and inconsistent treatment of innovation. Thematic analysis reveals that while environmental criteria are well addressed, social and financial dimensions remain underrepresented. The study concludes that future development should prioritise more balanced frameworks, enhance SDG alignment and foster international collaboration to create harmonised green building standards applicable across regions and various building types.