26.02.2025
What were the main business results for 2024?
In 2024, BuildGreen strengthened its position as a leader in sustainability by expanding beyond certification into ESG and decarbonization advisory, helping clients navigate increasingly complex regulations. We streamlined green building certification through digitalization driven analytics, enhancing efficiency and impact. Our international footprint grew, extending beyond the CEE region into Germany, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, and even Ukraine, demonstrating our adaptability to diverse markets and regulatory landscapes.
Amid tightening EU financial regulations, we played a crucial role in guiding companies through CSRD and EU Taxonomy compliance, ensuring real estate projects aligned with evolving sustainability standards. At the same time, we invested in team development, reinforcing our expertise to meet rising industry demands. By combining innovation, strategic expansion, and regulatory insight, BuildGreen continued to drive meaningful change in the built environment while securing long-term success.
What are the company’s business targets and plans for 2025?
In 2025, BuildGreen will intensify its efforts to evolve and expand the services we initiated in 2024, driven by a commitment to meeting our clients’ evolving needs and advancing the broader sustainability agenda.
Central to our plan is the continued strengthening of ESG and decarbonization advisory, where we will offer comprehensive support on due diligence, net-zero strategies, and corporate sustainability frameworks. By integrating advanced technology – from AI-driven analytics to digital reporting tools in cooperation with CarbonTool – we aim to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of sustainability management.
At the same time, we intend to move beyond treating certifications like BREEAM, LEED, or WELL as mere tick-box exercises and instead embed them into the larger ESG goals of our clients. This holistic view will ensure that sustainable practices become a core component of real estate development rather than an add-on. In parallel, the shift toward greater digitalization will remain a top priority, with real-time ESG tracking and automated reporting enabling more transparent, data-driven decision-making. Through these combined efforts, we aim to deliver even greater value for our partners, contribute to global decarbonization targets, and reinforce our standing as a leader in shaping the future of sustainable real estate.
What are the main challenges & opportunities for the real estate market in 2025?
In 2025, the real estate market will face both challenges and opportunities. A key challenge lies in adapting to stricter EU regulations, as companies must comply with new sustainability reporting and decarbonization requirements under CSRD and the EU Taxonomy. In addition, economic uncertainties in Romania may affect both supply and demand.
Financing also remains a concern, as developers seek cost-effective strategies to achieve net-zero targets and adopt circular economic principles. At the same time, integrating new technologies—such as AI, digital twins, and advanced ESG reporting—requires significant investment and expertise.
However, the market also presents promising opportunities. More businesses are prioritizing carbon reduction by adopting net-zero strategies, using low-carbon materials, and implementing energy-efficient solutions. The increased use of recycled, reclaimed, and bio-based materials helps reduce embodied carbon. Green financing and sustainability-linked loans are also on the rise; banks and investors increasingly favor projects aligned with EU sustainability standards, often providing more advantageous financing conditions.
Finally, Romania’s public sector is expected to ramp up investment in sustainable projects to meet EU goals, creating further growth opportunities for the industry.
What are the key sustainability trends in the construction and real estate sectors in 2025, and how is Build Green helping companies align with these trends?
In 2025, the construction sector continues to evolve at a measured pace, largely due to long-standing building methods such as brick and mortar, that have remained relatively unchanged for centuries. This slow adoption of innovation is also influenced by client and buyer preferences, where visible materials like red brick and concrete are often equated with “quality.” However, mounting pressure around performance, compliance, and quality standards is driving more widespread use of technology to enhance efficiency and project management.
From a sustainability perspective, an emerging debate – particularly influenced by the new US administration’s emphasis on profitability (“drill, baby, drill”) – is challenging what some perceive as overly restrictive “green” measures. This dynamic is expected to refocus sustainability efforts on practical, straightforward solutions with improved materials. Indeed, real sustainability translates into quality, which is ultimately valued by the end-user. While opinions may vary, market demand is likely to standardize sustainability as a core principle.
Within this context, BuildGreen is committed to maintaining and expanding its leadership role. We provide advisory services that bridge regulations, sustainability objectives, and business strategies. Our expertise in certifications, decarbonization, and EU compliance helps developers’ future-proof their projects and remain competitive.
How are EU climate goals and sustainability regulations influencing the construction and real estate markets in Romania in 2025 and what sectors or types of buildings are seeing the fastest adoption of sustainable practices in Romania?
In 2025, the Romanian construction and real estate markets continue to evolve under the influence of EU climate goals and sustainability regulations. While the legislative framework remains largely stable, with only minor adjustments in reporting requirements, regulatory expectations and market trends are gradually shaping new standards. The most notable changes include refinements to reporting obligations and updates to BREEAM and LEED certification schemes, ensuring better alignment with EU sustainability policies. These revisions are not dramatically stricter but provide greater clarity for stakeholders, supporting a smoother transition toward more sustainable practices.
Rather than imposing disruptive shifts, the updated certification frameworks introduce incremental performance improvements, allowing the market to adapt progressively. Romania has historically been ahead of the curve in adopting voluntary sustainability initiatives, with developers and investors recognizing the competitive and financial advantages of green building practices. Given that many projects already comply with nZEB requirements, the current regulatory refinement’s function more as enhancements to performance tracking and reporting than as fundamental changes to construction methodologies.
The commercial and office sectors remain at the forefront of sustainability adoption, driven by investor expectations, regulatory incentives, and the increasing demand for certified green buildings. High-end residential and mixed-use developments, while traditionally slower to embrace sustainability, are now incorporating more energy-efficient and low-carbon design elements. This growing emphasis on sustainability is transforming the real estate landscape, positioning green development as a key competitive advantage across a broader range of property types.
How do you see the balance between cost and sustainability evolving in 2025? Are developers willing to invest more in green solutions, or is affordability still a key challenge?
By 2025, the balance between cost and sustainability continues to evolve, with green solutions becoming a standard component of real estate development rather than an optional add-on. While no developer is eager to invest more without a clear return, the financial case for sustainability is stronger than ever. Developers incorporate sustainability not out of obligation but because it enhances the business case—improving asset value, increasing profitability, and ensuring long-term competitiveness.
The rising costs of energy and resources have reinforced the financial benefits of energy-efficient buildings, making sustainability a driver of operational savings rather than a burden. Affordability is no longer just about minimizing upfront costs but about optimizing long-term value. The focus has shifted toward lifecycle assessments, where energy efficiency, maintenance costs, and regulatory resilience play a key role in financial decision-making.
Market demand and financing options have also evolved. With investors and tenants prioritizing green-certified buildings, sustainability is now a key factor in asset desirability and marketability. At the same time, access to green financing and sustainability-linked loans has improved, making it easier for developers to integrate sustainability measures without significantly impacting their initial budgets.
Ultimately, cost and sustainability are no longer opposing forces but interdependent factors that drive smart investment decisions. Developers who integrate sustainability strategically are not just meeting regulatory requirements; they are future proofing their assets and maximizing returns in a market that increasingly values long-term resilience.
