Wallonia, a leader in sustainable real estate development

Present at MIPIM, Wallonia has decided to highlight the “Circular Economy in Real Estate” theme. This approach is essential to sustainable development, and positions Wallonia as a leader in this forward-looking movement. Several Walloon players give us concrete examples of sustainable projects.

For one week, real estate professionals will be on the Croisette in Cannes for MIPIM, the international trade show for real estate professionals. For the 23rd time, Wallonia will be present with the theme “Circular Economy in Real Estate”. This approach is essential to sustainable development, and positions Wallonia as a leader in this forward-looking movement.

“Generally speaking, we are involved in many stimulus plans. And among the various criteria, circularity, sustainability and the reuse of materials are often imposed by the various subsidizing authorities. But we didn't wait for this to be imposed on us before doing so. In the various projects we're involved in, it's one of our primary concerns”, says Renaud Moens, Managing Director of IGRETEC, an intermunicipal company active in the economic and territorial development of the Charleroi and Sud-Hainaut region.

And IGRETEC's General Manager illustrates his point with a number of projects.  “We have the energy aspect at the heart of every project. I'll take the example of A6K- E6K, a major project near Charleroi's central station. Today, it's no longer connected to gas, but uses heat pumps with an aquathermal system for heating and cooling. And in terms of the circularity of materials, we have to work around a huge hall that's already there. The idea is to recover as many materials as possible from the concrete and bluestone there,” adds Renaud Moens.

For certain projects, IGRETEC decided to call in an external company. “For the Trésignies project, we called in a specialist company, Rotor, to carry out a re-use audit. We realized that it was very useful to have the expertise of a company whose core business it is,” adds Nelly Coquereau, Territorial Development Department Manager.

Taking circularity one step further. Renaud Moens also talks about the deconstruction of the future building. “Today, in the carbon balance of a project, we have to integrate the construction of a building, the use of the building, but also the deconstruction of this building. It's important to have a vision of the reuse of materials throughout the life cycle.

For IDEA, the territorial development agency for the 27 communes of the Cœur du Hainaut region, sustainable development is also a key concern. The Feluy M2M project concerns the BASF site. Historically, the industrial site was first used to refine oil for Standard Oil of California. Around it, companies connected to use the “waste” that was not used by Standard Oil of California. Subsequently, the site continued to exist as such, with BASF in particular closing its site at the end of the 2000s.

“We were left with 62 hectares of heavily polluted wasteland. With two partners, Ecoterre and Wanty, we contacted BASF to buy back the site under the name of Feluy M2M. The site is now being cleaned up. We're going to recreate a mini-zoning, but one that will leave room for biodiversity,” explains Geneviève Finet, IDEA's Corporate Director.

If Wallonia is now one of the leaders in circularity in real estate, it's thanks to an important political decision, explains Geneviève Finet. “Wallonia has taken an important decision, which is zero net artificialisation by 2050. We can't continue to erode the agricultural land that allows the planet to breathe. The key to circularity is to build on former wastelands whenever possible. And every player who comes to develop their business must have as little environmental impact as possible,” adds Geneviève Finet.

Circularity is not just a trend, it's the future of real estate. Wallonia is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, demonstrating how a regional commitment to sustainable practices can have global implications.

At MIPIM, public and private companies alike will be showcasing their projects for Wallonia to international players. It's a way of fine-tuning their projects and attracting investors to Wallonia.