COP31 kicked off in Antalya, Türkiye, and runs until 20 November. This year's climate summit is focused on implementation, with the COP31 Presidency putting electrification, energy efficiency and circularity at the top of the agenda. All three run straight through the built environment.
Buildings are among the world's largest energy consumers. They are also one of the most powerful levers for change. Over the next two weeks, our global network is in Antalya to make that case, while here in Belgium we are showing what implementation already looks like in practice.
WorldGBC in Antalya: #BuildItReady
The World Green Building Council is on the ground at COP31 with its #BuildItReady campaign, championing buildings that are prepared for tomorrow's challenges and opportunities, today. The delegation is led by CEO Cristina Gamboa.
WorldGBC highlights three COP31 targets for 2035 where buildings play a central role:
- 35% electricity share of final energy demand. Heating, cooling, cooking, on-site renewables, storage and smart controls make buildings central to clean electrification.
- 25% reduction in building energy consumption intensity. Efficient buildings reduce wasted energy, lower costs and make electrification easier for grids to manage.
- 15% global circular material-use rate. Construction and demolition drive much of our material demand and waste. Circular design, reuse and resource efficiency can deliver system-wide change.
ElectrifyNow: seizing the electric advantage
The 35% target is at the heart of #ElectrifyNow, a global campaign that WorldGBC supports alongside more than 40 organisations and governments, including the European Commission. The aim is to raise electricity's share of final energy consumption from around 21% today to 35% by 2035, a goal shared by the COP31 Presidency.
Buildings are already ahead of the curve. According to the International Energy Agency, electricity covers around 40% of buildings' final energy needs, which shows both how far electrification can go and how much more it can contribute.
At the opening of COP31, more than 100 global companies are relaunching the "Seizing the Electric Advantage" statement, led by the We Mean Business Coalition. They call on governments to put clean electrification at the heart of economic and industrial strategy. Businesses are already investing in electrified technologies to reduce their exposure to volatile fuel markets and strengthen their competitiveness. What they need now are consistent, long-term policy signals to scale that investment.
Electrify Belgian Buildings: making smart electrification tangible
Inspired by ElectrifyNow, BGBC launched Electrify Belgian Buildings to showcase Belgian projects that prove how smart electrification supports a more competitive, resilient and low-carbon built environment. The case studies show how buildings can move from passive energy consumers to active participants in the energy system.
Success depends on doing it smartly. Each project is assessed through our Smart Electrification Framework, rooted in European energy policy and built on four sequential pillars:
- Efficiency First: reduce energy demand through renovation, insulation and efficient systems.
- Smart Electrification: phase out fossil fuels with efficient electric solutions such as heat pumps and EV charging.
- Renewable Energy: integrate renewable electricity, particularly solar PV.
- Grid Readiness: let buildings interact with the grid through smart energy management, storage and demand flexibility.
Three Belgian projects already delivering
The COP31 targets are not abstract. These three case studies show them in practice.
Montgomery Parc, Brussels
A deep renovation that turned an ageing office complex into a fully electric, future-ready urban hub. The project has no natural gas connection and uses air-to-water heat pumps for heating and cooling. It preserves and transforms the existing structure, combining electrification with circularity. BGBC members B2Ai architects, Cordeel Group, Kolmont and SuReal contributed their expertise.
Read the Montgomery Parc case study
Zuiderpoort, Ghent
A 62,000 m² office complex that treated the end of life of its technical installations as a strategic opportunity. Gas boilers and chillers are being replaced by heat pumps in cascade, while the building stays fully occupied. Gas use is set to fall from 5,287 MWh per year to zero and energy intensity is expected to halve, from around 136 to 68 kWh/m² per year. The building's CRREM stranding year moves from around 2032 to 2042. BGBC member SuReal worked with asset manager Wanaka Partners.
Read the Zuiderpoort case study
Europe Inland Logistic Campus 21, Ham
BGBC members Heylen Warehouses and Heylen Energy joined forces with Nike's Europe Logistic Campus 21 to connect local production, consumption and storage into one system. Around 6 MWp of solar generates about 5.5 GWh per year, roughly the annual consumption of 1,500 households. The energy is used directly by the neighbouring site, which relieves pressure on the grid.
Read the Europe Inland Logistic Campus 21 case study
Share your project
The solutions to electrify buildings are available today. With the right policy frameworks, the Belgian building sector can deliver this transformation faster and further, and every new project makes the case stronger.
Are you working on a project that shows smart electrification in action? We would love to feature it in the next Electrify Belgian Buildings case study.
