As we continue to experience the worsening effects of climate change, the need for resilient solutions becomes increasingly urgent. Yet one of the highest contributors to global carbon emissions remains largely ignored: our buildings. Buildings account for 39% of global emissions (World Green Building Council n.d.). The embodied carbon itself— which refers to the carbon emissions associated with the extraction, transport, and manufacturing stages of a product’s life (United States Environmental Protection Agency 2024)— is responsible for about a fourth of global emissions (World Green Building Council n.d.) and 75% of a building’s emissions (Berg 2021). From the design and construction phase to the demolition and disposal of building materials, the true breadth of the environmental cost of buildings often goes unrecognized. By solely focusing on energy efficiency through operational emissions, we neglect the significant environmental impact embedded in the processes of creating and upholding these spaces. To address this issue and alleviate some of their environmental burden, governments across the world have turned to the practice of regenerative urban space. In this process, cities and buildings are designed to restore natural ecosystems, enhance social well-being, and promote resilience through adaptive reuse and biodiversity, while minimizing environmental impact and remaining flexible for fluctuating climate conditions.

This system of ecological repair offers a promising solution, and countries like France are already leading the way with progressive policies and practices aimed at reducing carbon emissions through renovation and sustainable building regulations. To reduce their carbon footprint through renovation, the French government has begun taking steps toward long-term, enduring solutions. Most significantly, a new policy, RE2020, went into effect January 1, 2022, providing national regulation for all new buildings. This policy is effective because it contains requirements that must be maintained over the entire building lifecycle, ensuring the reduction of embodied carbon. To pass RE2020 regulations, buildings must track carbon emissions and energy consumption from the construction phase, analyzing the carbon index of each material, through the end of the building construction, controlling consumption limits annually (Interreg Europe 2022). While this policy significantly addresses carbon emissions from construction and operational phases, the fact that it doesn't cover the demolition of buildings hinders further progress toward complete carbon reduction.

Building on France's commitment to sustainable solutions through RE2020, the country has explored additional strategies to reduce carbon emissions further, focusing on the regeneration of existing buildings rather than constructing new ones. One-fifth of buildings in France are vacant or used as supplementary homes, despite the ability and available space to meet population requirements. By encouraging the renovation of existing properties rather than the construction of new ones, France can continue urbanizing while minimizing its environmental impact and reducing housing shortages (Lahet 2024). Enforcing zero-carbon building codes and new performance standards results in eco-conscious urban growth. Restrictions on non-residential buildings further protect the natural environment: if the soil surrounding new commercial spaces over 10,000 square meters is turned into artificial surface, the construction is prohibited (Lahet 2024). These systems not only improve the urban ecological environment but also enhance the overall image and appeal of its city (MDPI 2023). In 2016, immovable cultural heritage sites— significant physical structures considered important for their historical, cultural, or architectural value, protected from alteration or destruction due to their contribution to preserving cultural identity— were granted the ability to “change use” preventing buildings from falling into derelict and keeping them relevant in modern France (Collot 2021, 365). Such demolition alternatives safeguard the country’s cultural heritage and uphold the historic beauty of its neighborhoods (Corless 2024).

In line with these efforts, prominent architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal exemplify France's commitment to sustainable practices through their innovative approach to architecture and urban planning. Their Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning practice, Lacaton & Vassal, focuses on adaptive reuse, finding “ways of adapting existing spaces to meet new needs” (Berg 2021). The duo approaches design and development of new projects with a unique perspective, as they aim to reduce waste, lessen costs, and benefit the social and cultural atmosphere while still producing beautiful, inventive works of architecture.