Green decree: France says all new public buildings must be 50% renewable by 2022

In France, The French government has issued a mandate that half of all materials used to construct new public buildings must be timber or other natural materials by 2022.

The sustainability decree is especially important ahead of construction related to Paris hosting the Olympics in 2024.  “We made this commitment for the Olympic Games,” the country’s minister for cities and housing Julien Denormandie tells Agence France-Presse. Three new venues will be built for the games: an aquatics center, Olympic and Paralympic Village, and a Media Village. All three are scheduled for completion in September 2023.

The law can also be fulfilled by using materials such as hemp or straw, both of which have a lower environmental footprint than concrete or steel. President Emmanuel Macron has committed the country to be carbon neutral by 2050.