
In a plea, they alert public authorities to the risks of a reconsideration of the carbon trajectory for professional construction sectors.
Weakening the construction industry and regional development
A challenge to the initial ambitions of RE2020 would compromise the investments made over several years by construction players, both industrially and locally.
For exemple :
- Bio-sourced construction manufacturers have invested 150 million euros over the past five years and plan to invest an additional 80 million by 2030, to increase production capacity to 80 million m2 of bio-sourced materials (capacity currently used at less than 50%).
- Off-site players, for their part, have invested early: their industrial tool is already capable of doubling production with constant equipment.
Any postponement or reduction of environmental ambition would risk weakening the momentum, slowing down innovation and compromising return on investment, thus discouraging industrial commitments.
A virtuous territorial dynamic to preserve
The development of materials and off-site sectors is part of a reindustrialization approach that serves local communities. Factories and production sites are mostly located in sparsely populated areas, actively contributing to local economic revitalization. These locations generate skilled jobs, added value, and synergies with regional industrial ecosystems.
Going back on the RE2020 objectives would also undermine the dynamics of job creation and territorial development at the heart of sustainable development policies.
A matter of practices rather than regulations
The five federations also wish to emphasize that the difficulties encountered today in the application of RE2020 are due more to practical issues than to excessive regulatory ambition.
An inflation of requirements and a weakening of the role of designers
Public and private procurement is currently marked by an accumulation of multiple requirements without a clear hierarchy: energy performance, cost, deadline, integration of bio-sourced or reused materials, modes of transport, construction approach, etc. This accumulation of objectives, sometimes unrealistic and contradictory, complicates operations, makes procedures cumbersome and generates additional costs.
Furthermore, the gradual shift of technical specifications from the project manager to the client deprives designers of their ability to propose the most appropriate solutions for the context of each project. It is essential that project owners prioritize their objectives and adopt purchasing methods that promote collective intelligence. Only then can technical and economic responses be more balanced, effective, and sustainable.
A necessary learning curve for professionals
Experience with RT2012 has shown that any new regulation requires an adaptation phase. According to a study by UNTEC (Permanent Observatory of Construction Costs, Impact of RT2012 and Prospectives Concerning RE2020), the learning curve for stakeholders generated a temporary additional cost lasting a few years, which was quickly amortized. The same is true for RE2020.
Construction professionals are fully aware of this: they need time, feedback and adequate support to effectively integrate new requirements and optimize costs.
Re-examining the notion of cost per m2
Analyzing the cost per square meter alone masks a more complex reality. According to UNTEC, the average additional cost linked to the 2028 RE2020 threshold would be around 7%, of which only 1% is linked to bio-sourced materials and 1% to the ICConstruction carbon indicator.
But this additional cost must be put into perspective with the concrete benefits: reduction of waste and transport, reduction of operating costs, sustainability, scalability of uses, facilitation of reuse, etc. Off-site construction in particular makes it possible to optimize resources throughout the building's life cycle.
For Éric Aurenche (ACIM), Céline Beaujolin (Off-Site Sector), Vincent Hannecart (AICB), Julie Laurin (RFCP), Jean-Luc Lesoin (FEDECOMAT) and Jonathan Leplay (FEDECOMAT): "The urgent need is not to lower the RE2020 objectives. The real short-term challenge is to support the upskilling of industry players through practical guides and appropriate tools, targeted training, the sharing of feedback and objective work, but also through networking among stakeholders within the regions. This is how professionals will be able to fully embrace the RE2020 requirements, improve project quality and control costs, while addressing the climate and economic challenges of tomorrow's construction."
Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.