CO₂ reduction in buildings
How do you lower both the CO₂ emissions and energy bills of your building? Avoid energy waste and focus on reuse and sustainable energy sources. With smart monitoring and control, you can continuously optimise for maximum efficiency and cost savings.CO₂ reduction in buildings
How do you lower both the CO₂ emissions and energy bills of your building? Avoid energy waste and focus on reuse and sustainable energy sources. With smart monitoring and control, you can continuously optimise for maximum efficiency and cost savings.
Challenges and CO₂ requirements for buildings
Energy costs for buildings continue to rise and are often unpredictable. At the same time, CO₂ standards are becoming stricter and electrification is a must. Heating, cooling, ventilation and hot water account for up to 80% of total energy use, meaning every efficiency improvement has a direct financial and climate impact. Yet, a lot of energy is still wasted today. The good news is that there remain huge opportunities for optimisation.
Reduce First: the smart first step
For buildings, every CO₂ reduction and cost reduction starts with continuous optimisation of your energy consumption by eliminating waste and improving the efficiency of your installations. Only when heating, cooling, ventilation, and electrical consumption work together efficiently can there be room to make new technologies cost-effective.
- You optimise setpoints, flow rates, ventilation streams, circulation, and BMS logic.
- You adjust lighting based on occupancy and daylight.
- You reuse internal energy. For example, by recovering heat and coolness from cooling and ventilation systems through heat pumps.
- You continuously fine-tune consumption through digital optimisation using monitoring, digital twins, BMS systems, and predictive maintenance.
- You utilise sustainable resources wherever technically and economically viable.
Compliance: meeting regulatory requirements
European and regional regulations on CO₂ emissions from buildings are tightening rapidly. The new European (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) mandates emission-free new builds from 2028–2030, initiates the phase-out of fossil fuel boilers by 2040, and requires CO₂ footprint reporting by 2028–2030. Flanders is accelerating this from 2025 with stricter renewable energy requirements and a ban on gas connections in new builds. For owners, managers, and investors, this means one thing: buildings that don’t evolve lose value and become increasingly costly to operate.
The Equans approach
- UNDERSTAND
We gather data and insights, analyse them, and create a plan. With decisions we fully support as your implementation partner. - ACT
We install and manage concrete technical solutions, with a focus on continuity, safety, and feasibility. - ACCELERATE
Our solutions are future-proof and scalable, designed for long-term impact. We stay involved through optimisation and monitoring.
Inspiration and succes stories
Get inspired by how other buildings have successfully reduced their CO₂ emissions.
Why Equans?
Your energy transition requires a partner who removes energy complexity, understands how your environment works, and fully masters execution. With 80 years of experience and 9,200 specialists, Equans Belux has all the expertise to secure your company’s future and continuity. From vendor-neutral advice to technical implementation and long-term maintenance — we are there for you, from the boardroom to the site, the plant, or the office. By combining technical solutions with flexible financing models, we accelerate your energy transition and reduce capital investments. Together, we’ll create a tailored roadmap and guide you every step of the way.