Energy efficiency in existing real estate stock: a charter for voluntary commitment

Voluntary action decided by real estate stock players

Regulatory background

With nearly 44% of French domestic energy consumption, the built environment is the most “energy thirsty” sector and generates nearly a quarter of French national greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, in line with its European commitments, an ambitious program to reduce energy consumption in the building stock is on tracks, with at least a 38 % saving by 2020 (base 2006). Beyond this first target, France is committed to reduce of 30% its consumption of fossil fuels by 2030 and 50% of its consumption energy by 2050 (at constant GDP). This goal has been confirmed across all the political forces running the country. President François Hollande confirmed the commitment at the opening of the second environmental conference of September 2013.

Non housing buildings (both public and private) are keys to comply with the overall target (offices, businesses, governments, educational buildings and other commercial buildings). They represent more than 920 million square meters and are characterized by the highest level of energy consumption.

With a quarter of our country built surfaces, the non-housing sector represents a third of building national consumptions. According to CEREN observatory data, the average consumption of the entire business park was in 2010 of 206 kWh/m2/year (final energy).

The Programme Act of 12 July 2010 as “national commitment for the environment” provides the French law with an obligation for the business park to initiate thermal renovation of stock within eight years, starting January 1, 2012. Since then, a much awaited decree shall specify the nature of the obligation and the nature of the refurbishment to be performed and define the specific goals for energy efficiency to be achieved.

A public consultation was driven by Maurice Gauchot, Chairman of CBRE France in preparation for the future decree in the framework of the National Sustainable Building Plan. This cross industry coalition gathers all stakeholders of the park public and private services and is led by Philippe Pelletier, well known lawyer invested by government.

The report led by Maurice Gauchot hailed by all involved in commercial real estate, making recommendations to likely to contribute to the drafting of the implementing decree are available on the website of the Green Building Plan : www.planbatimentdurable.fr

Why a charter?

Professional real estate is anticipating the move for a long time. Not awaiting for a coming Decree, a voluntary “pre Decree” manifesto or “charter” was proposed on the pulse of Sustainable Building Plan, to anticipate the implementation of the obligation future renovation. Of course, the decree will be published in 2014 as requested expressed by the French President François Hollande.

• All the charter developed here (in French): http://charterenovationtertaire.wordpress.com

Signatories want the charter creates an overall movement for improving energy efficiency, welfare for users and local economic activity for the construction and real estate sector.

The Charter is open for signature by all public and private players eager to engage the energy retrofit of their stocks. It is also open to community organizations that bring together stakeholders public and private non-housing stock: associations, federations promoting the interests a trade or a particular segment of the park.

A first movement agrees by signing thirty actors that 31 October 2013. Many others have already demonstrated their interest and should join this movement in 2014.

The first progress report is expected at the end of the year.

Cédric BOREL, Director of IFPEB,

IFPEB is chairing at the board of the National Sustainable Building Plan (www.ifpeb.fr)

 Extract of the charter

 They will report publicly at regular intervals, with the results.

“(…) The signatories undertake to link the implementation of their improvement plan to the declaration of a target of energy saving and the communication of this progress plan.

This objective is defined on the actual consumption for all uses of energy (primary energy or final energy) at constant use, compared to a baseline corresponding to a chosen date between 2006 and 2013 left to the choice of the signatory, which may also select the unit the more relevant measure of the intensity of use. It is left to signatories the opportunity to include or not consumption relative to their specific processes. (…) this commitment to reduce consumption energy is expressed as a result to be achieved, each signatory the freedom of the means implemented to achieve the goal.”

Full text on this link (French).

Signatories on the 2nd of June, 2014 :

• Aéroports de Paris (Paris Airport Company)
• AEW Europe
• AG2R La Mondiale
• Allianz Real Estate France
• Altarea Cogedim
• Amundi Immobilier
• AXA Real Estate
• Banque Populaire Lorraine-Champagne
• BARJANE
• BNP Paribas Cardif
• BNP Paribas REIM France
• BNP Paribas REIS France
• Bouygues Energies & Services
• Castorama (retail)
• Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment
• Cofely Axima
• Cofely Services GDF-SUEZ
• Conseil Général de l’Essonne
• Crédit Agricole Immobilier
• Dalkia France
• Danone
• EDF
• Eiffage Energie
• Elithis Groupe
• Eurosic
• Foncière des Régions
• GDF-SUEZ
• Gecina
• Generali Real Estate French Branch
• Groupama Immobilier
• Groupe BTP Consultants
• Groupe MGEN
• Groupe Point P
• Icade
• Ivanhoé Cambridge Europe
• Klépierre
• La Française REM
• Lexmark International SAS
• M&G Real Estate
• Perial Asset Management pour sa SCPI PFO2
• Poste-Immo
• Puget Consultants
• RATP
• Sanofi
• Schneider Electric
• Société de la Tour Eiffel
• Sodéarif
• Stef
• TIAA Henderson Real Estate
• Unibail – Rodamco
• Université Paris-Dauphine
• Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard
• Vinci Energies
• Züblin Immobilière France
• ADSTD
• Afilog
• ARSEG
• ASPIM
• Association Apogée
• Association des Directeurs Immobiliers
• Association des Régions de France
• Conseil National des Centres Commerciaux
• Fédération des Sociétés Immobilières et Foncières
• France GBC
• Green Rating Alliance
• Institut Français pour la Performance du Bâtiment
• Observatoire de l’Immobilier Durable
• Syndicat des entreprises de génie électrique et climatique (SERCE)