Removing Waterproofing from Historic Buildings: ESG Considerations and Methods for Social Housing Landlords and Real Estate Companies

Removing Waterproofing from Historic Buildings: ESG Considerations and Methods for Social Housing Landlords and Real Estate Companies

Why De-impermeabilization Has Become a Strategic Issue for Landlords

The Impact of Courtyards and Parking Lots on Landlords' Assets

In a typical public housing complex, undeveloped areas account for 40% to 60% of the total managed area. Their paving leads to: reduced thermal comfort in the summer, localized flooding, high maintenance costs, and a decline in the complex’s appearance.

Increasing regulatory requirements

The SRU Act, the PCAET, the ZAN, and the CSRD all require property owners to manage their land holdings more responsibly. Local urban planning regulations are increasingly mandating minimum building coverage ratios for renovation projects.

What the CSRD and the European Taxonomy require

Land-use and land-sealing indicators

The CSRD requires reporting on environmental impacts related to land use, including: impervious surface area, vegetation cover, actions taken, and biodiversity indicators (CBSh).

Contributing to climate adaptation

The European Taxonomy requires real estate activities to demonstrate their contribution to climate change adaptation. De-impermeabilization and greening are eligible for recognition—provided they are supported by reliable data.

Identify and prioritize: the essential first step

The Challenge of a Dispersed and Diverse Heritage

A housing stock of 10,000 units may be spread across 200 residential complexes in 50 different municipalities. Aerial imagery offers a breakthrough: within a few weeks, the entire housing stock is analyzed, and each residential complex is assigned its own environmental indicators.

How aerial imagery solves the problem

Netcarbon analyzes aerial images of each residence to produce: land-use maps, the imperviousness rate per residence, surface temperature, carbon stock, and CBSh.

Waterproofing solutions tailored to public housing

Residential areas: parking lots, driveways, courtyards

• Replacing asphalt with permeable pavers with vegetation: reduces imperviousness by 40 to 60%
• Reduction in the number of parking spaces in residential complexes with high vacancy rates
• Creating community gardens: significant social and environmental benefits

Areas around buildings: building bases, playgrounds

Planting vegetation at the base of the facade reduces the heat island effect, improves summer insulation, and enhances the landscape. Replacing playground pavers with permeable surfaces improves water infiltration.

Green roofs on existing buildings

Greening flat roofs improves summer insulation, reduces surface temperatures by 20°C to 40°C, and provides a habitat for biodiversity. Cost: €80 to €150 per square meter; often eligible for ANAH, Green Fund, and CEE grants.

Measuring and quantifying impact: reporting and carbon credits

Supporting ESG reporting with reliable data

The indicators produced by Netcarbon are ready for use in CSRD reporting: they are calculated using a documented, reproducible, and third-party-auditable methodology.

The Low-Carbon Label as a financial lever

The carbon credits generated can be retained or sold (€30–50 per ton of CO2). For a program involving 500 trees across 50 residential properties, the potential over 25 years can reach several hundred tons of CO2.

Case Study: Maisons & Cités

Comprehensive asset assessment:

• 257 hectares of grassland (43% of the total area)
• 106,488 metric tons of CO2 stored
• 58% average vegetation cover

This assessment made it possible to identify residential areas with high levels of impervious surfaces and to launch a prioritized greening program.

Are you a social housing provider or real estate company looking to assess the potential for de-impermeabilization of your properties? Netcarbon analyzes all of your residential properties from the air. Contact us.