The construction sector faces the challenge of the 2026 budget: energy renovation as a lever for the future

The ecological transition cannot wait, and the construction sector has a central role to play. Reducing investment in energy renovation would not only be counterproductive but also dangerous in the long term, both for the economy and for our society and environment.

Let's not sacrifice an ecological and social emergency

France still has 5,8 million energy-inefficient homes. These are all households—often modest—who live in thermal sieves, where heating is wasted and energy poverty is becoming the norm.

Yet these homes represent a huge opportunity: each renovation helps reduce CO₂ emissions, create local jobs, and sustainably improve residents' quality of life. It's not an expense; it's an investment.

Energy renovation is one of the rare areas where ecology, economy and social justice come together.

Investing in renovation is investing in the future

As the head of several companies specializing in building renovation, I see every day how promising this sector is: for our artisans, for our young people in training, and for our local communities. But without strong public support, local dynamics risk collapsing.

I propose several concrete ways to avoid a dead end:

• Expanded public-private co-financing

Communities and the state can no longer bear the costs of the transition alone. It is time to mobilize private actors—businesses, investors, cooperatives—to co-finance projects with a high environmental impact.

• Tax incentives maintained and strengthened

Reducing support programs like MaPrimeRénov' or tax credits would be a mistake. Instead, they need to be made more accessible, particularly in rural areas and working-class neighborhoods.

• Renovation as a driver of local employment

Each renovation project mobilizes local skills: masons, plasterers, heating engineers, and craftsmen. It's a direct lever for local recovery and a springboard for young people training in the construction industry.

• Preserving our heritage while modernizing it

Renovating also means preserving. It's essential to enhance the value of our old buildings, rather than demolishing them. We can combine respect for heritage with energy efficiency: this is the key to smart renovation.

The short term must not kill the long term

Yes, we are going through a period of fiscal austerity. But that's no reason to abandon our climate commitments. Cutting spending today must not cost more tomorrow, by exacerbating social inequalities, increasing our energy dependence, or rendering our housing stock obsolete.

Energy renovation is not an adjustment variable: it is the key to a more sustainable and resilient economic model.

It is time for budgetary decisions to be guided by a long-term vision, not solely by the urgency of the deficit. If we want to build a greener, fairer, and more prosperous France, energy renovation must be at the heart of the 2026 budget.

Tribune by Sylvain Gruelles, entrepreneur and expert in energy renovation (LinkedIn).