War has been declared on waste: between now and 2050, France will have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to a quarter of 1990 levels. This commitment, made upon signing the Kyoto protocol in 1997, has had a major impact on construction. And with good cause: it's the worst polluter. 43% of end-user energy consumption in France comes from the building trade, more than transport and industry. Heating alone accounts for two-thirds of the energy consumed and the majority of CO2 emitted by the sector. Since 1975, new regulations have been in place. However, the Grenelle de l'Environnement, a multi-party debate reuniting government and organizations, has sped up the process - from 2012, all new housing must be energy efficient. From 2020, all new housing must be energy-neutral (low energy needs) or even energy-positive (more energy produced than consumed.) Existing housing has not been forgotten and heat regulation will soon be applied there, with incentives for improvement work on top of that, and an energy consumption labelling system (similar to that for refrigerators or cars) based on the energy performance assessment. The aim is to paint life green.