"Décret tertiaire": a complete guide for office operators looking to anticipate and perform

Since it came into force in 2019, the French décret tertiaire has been steadily reshaping the way office buildings and other tertiary-use assets are conceived and managed. For many in the sector, it was initially seen as just another layer of compliance, a regulation that would add reporting duties and technical requirements to an already crowded agenda. But as the dust has settled, the decree has emerged as far more than a bureaucratic exercise. It has become one of the defining levers of the energy transition in real estate, placing offices and large commercial assets at the centre of national decarbonisation objectives. For owners, operators, and asset managers, it has also revealed itself as a strategic instrument: one that can protect and even enhance the long-term value of portfolios while aligning with the expectations of tenants and investors who are increasingly uncompromising when it comes to sustainability. What started as an obligation is now recognised as an opportunity — but only for those willing to anticipate its demands and adapt their operations accordingly.

The decree, officially known as the Eco-Energy Tertiary Scheme, sets ambitious reduction targets that cannot be ignored: a 40 percent cut in energy consumption by 2030, 50 percent by 2040, and 60 percent by 2050, each measured against a reference year chosen between 2010 and 2019. This reference year, once declared, cannot be altered, which makes the choice itself a strategic decision. Some operators have chosen years of higher consumption to leave themselves greater room for measurable progress, while others have opted for more recent baselines to reflect the impact of upgrades already carried out. Either way, the starting point is critical, as it defines the pathway to compliance over three decades. The annual reporting of energy consumption, required every September via ADEME’s OPERAT platform, reinforces this long-term perspective. While it may be tempting to treat reporting as a perfunctory administrative duty, the most proactive operators see it as a management tool that allows them to track performance, spot anomalies, and engage both tenants and teams around clear and transparent metrics. Done well, it creates a culture of monitoring and accountability that extends beyond compliance and into the heart of day-to-day building operations.

The Central Role of Offices in the Energy Transition

Office buildings, more than many other tertiary assets, illustrate both the challenges and the opportunities of the decree. Their energy use is complex and often intense: heating and cooling large open-plan areas, maintaining comfortable air quality and lighting, and supporting extensive IT and digital infrastructure. Unlike single-purpose buildings, offices also face highly variable occupancy patterns, with daily peaks and troughs that drive unpredictable demand. This complexity means that meeting the decree’s targets cannot be achieved with isolated interventions. Instead, it requires a comprehensive approach that combines deep technical renovation with smarter building management and behavioural change. Upgrading insulation or modernising HVAC equipment may deliver substantial gains, but without complementary digital tools to monitor and fine-tune performance, much of the potential remains untapped. Equally, tenant engagement plays a decisive role. A building’s systems can only achieve so much if users are not encouraged to adopt efficient practices, supported by transparent feedback and, where possible, individualised metering.

The decree is also deliberately structured to encourage progression rather than perfection. No one expects operators to deliver immediate 60 percent cuts; instead, the framework rewards steady, incremental progress over decades. This design mirrors the reality of building lifecycles, where major renovations, equipment replacements, and operational shifts happen in phases. For operators, the challenge is therefore to establish realistic action plans that can evolve over time. These may include short-term adjustments, such as optimising HVAC schedules or upgrading lighting to LEDs, alongside longer-term investments in façade insulation, renewable energy integration, or advanced energy recovery systems. The regulatory framework essentially provides a roadmap, but it is up to operators to pace their journey in line with budgets, tenant needs, and technical constraints.

Compliance, Value, and the Case for Expertise

While the regulatory targets are clear, the risks of ignoring them are equally apparent. Non-compliance carries potential financial penalties, but perhaps more damaging is the reputational impact. The decree allows for public listing of buildings that fail to comply, exposing underperforming assets at a time when transparency on ESG performance is increasingly demanded by tenants, investors, and regulators alike. In parallel, assets with poor energy credentials face declining competitiveness in the leasing market and potential devaluation in transactions. Energy inefficiency is no longer seen as a tolerable weakness but as a liability that undermines both operational costs and long-term value.

Conversely, those who embrace the decree with foresight are already seeing the rewards. Energy-efficient buildings enjoy lower operating costs, greater resilience against energy price volatility, and stronger appeal to tenants, who now actively seek out sustainable workplaces. For investors, these assets carry reduced transition risk, a stronger narrative on ESG credentials, and better liquidity in a market that increasingly differentiates on sustainability. The regulation, in this sense, acts as both a stick and a carrot: it imposes obligations, but it also creates a framework for delivering tangible financial and strategic benefits.

To navigate this landscape effectively, expertise is indispensable. Developing an action plan that balances technical interventions, financial investment, and tenant engagement is complex, and it requires a long-term view. Specialist partners can help assess current performance, identify the most impactful measures, and ensure that implementation is both practical and minimally disruptive. They can also provide ongoing monitoring and reporting, turning annual obligations into a continuous improvement process that sustains results over time. By working with experts, operators can transform what might feel like an administrative burden into a structured, data-driven energy strategy that strengthens both compliance and competitiveness.

Looking Ahead

In the end, the décret tertiaire should not be seen as a constraint but as a catalyst. It forces the industry to confront the energy performance of its assets, but it also provides a framework that rewards ambition and foresight. Those who approach it reactively, treating compliance as a box-ticking exercise, risk falling behind as regulations tighten and market expectations rise. Those who embrace it proactively, integrating it into their broader asset management strategy, will not only meet the targets but position themselves as leaders in a market where sustainability is rapidly becoming the standard of value. The decree is less about hitting distant percentages and more about reshaping how offices are managed today, in order to ensure they remain desirable, competitive, and resilient tomorrow.