Construction company and general contractor for any type of project, from structural work to finished product, from new build to renovation.

Democo also has a branche in Poland (Democo Poland).

 

 

website
Democo
icon default
Democo.svg
config id
democo
group position
Contracting
hide in menu
Uit
icon left
admin only
Off
admin link
/en/democo
css
democo
hide in filter
Off
show groupnews
Off
langswitch
Nederlands
English
Français
topmenu cta
After-sales service

Participation

We are convinced that we can make a positive change as a major player in the construction industry – not only on our own construction sites, but also on those of our partners and competitors. We want to play a pioneering role in the construction sector, by focussing on research and evaluation, and converting that knowledge into innovative living lab projects that can inspire other players.

As a sector, we can grow faster together than alone. We learn from our partners and participate in sector-wide initiatives and development projects related to the reduction of CO₂ emissions. By sharing a sector-wide vision on sustainability, we can build the future together!

Initiatives we support

Transparency

All experts, stronger together! At Democo, we realize that we are stronger as a team, in which every player knows and takes their responsibility. This vision is also reflected in our reduction policy: we regularly inform our stakeholders and employees about the progress of our objectives and the concrete steps within each industry.

Our transparent approach ensures that everyone within Democo is aware of what we are doing to reduce our emissions and what everyone's part is in this mission. We make sure that all information about our objectives and step-by-step plans is available and up to date, for example via this website.

 

Reduction

It is our ambition to see an absolute decrease of 16% in our CO₂ emissions by 2025, compared to 2019. To achieve this goal, we have identified clear, achievable steps across site borders. We want to:

  • Electrify our fleet as much as possible
  • Lower energy consumption on sites by reducing standby power to zero with smart timers and LED lighting
  • Focus on green energy: since fuel oil emits 6x times more CO₂ than electricity, we are switching to electricity as much as possible – and we obtain as much energy as possible from renewable sources.
Curious about our goals and actions?

The CO₂ performance ladder is a sustainability tool of the SKAO (Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement & Entrepreneurship) to help companies and governments reduce their CO₂ emissions, with the goal of achieving a climate-neutral business community. You can find more information about the CO₂ performance ladder on the SKAO website.

 

 

CO₂ performance ladder

In 2022, Democo achieved the CO₂ performance ladder Level 3. We’ve mapped out our carbon footprint and are focused on rational energy consumption within every branch of our business, striving for maximum energy savings and new, sustainable energy sources.

Along with our self-sufficient and circular principles, the CO₂ performance ladder offers us a targeted approach to reduce emissions within our entire business chain. For each step of this ladder, clear requirements are defined for the CO₂ performance of our organization and projects. The ultimate goal is climate neutrality.

More about the CO₂ performance ladder?

The CO₂ performance ladder is a sustainability tool of the SKAO (Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement & Entrepreneurship) to help companies and governments reduce their CO₂ emissions, with the goal of achieving a climate-neutral business community. You can find more information about the CO₂ performance ladder on the SKAO website.

You can find our certificate here.

You can find our previous certificate here.

Insight

To measure is to know! In order to purposefully reduce our carbon footprint, we need to have a clear and full idea of our emissions throughout the entire construction process. When we know the actual impact of every step and choice on and off the construction site, we can reduce our footprint efficiently and across the board.

A thorough measurement of all our activities in 2019 taught us that we emit 3,500 tons of CO₂ annually: 43% comes from our vehicle fleet, 23% from machines and generators on sites, 16% from electricity, 12% from heating and 6% from waste.

CO₂-uitstoot omlaag stadsdiensten Hasselt

Duurzaam stadhuis 't Scheep

We verlagen niet alleen onze eigen CO₂-voetafdruk tijdens het bouwproces, maar zetten ook gebouwen neer met een minimale impact tijdens hun levensduur! Stadhuis 't Scheep in Hasselt is hier een mooi voorbeeld van. Dit project ontving een zilveren medaille op de International Property Awards in London en daarbij speelde duurzaamheid een grote rol.

't Scheep draagt het BREEAM-duurzaamheidslabel Excellent. Het gebouw is uitgerust met geothermische warmtepompen en zonnepanelen en zorgt voor een optimaal hergebruik van regenwater. Die systemen hebben een merkbaar en meetbaar resultaat: het energieverbruik en de CO₂-uitstoot van de stadsdiensten is sterk gedaald sinds de verhuis uit de oude gebouwen. Kortom: de missie om met het nieuwe stadhuis een "duurzame voorbeeldfunctie" in te nemen is méér dan geslaagd!

Sustainable building

Insight
Reduction
Transparency
Participation

Waste

A construction site involves lots of waste, from demolition waste during urban renewal to general construction waste such as leftover materials, cuttings, moulds, packaging… Democo Green Desk focuses on waste policy, waste prevention and increasing both the quantity and quality of construction and demolition recycling.

We select high-quality materials that can be reused as raw materials in the future and implement sustainable building techniques, actively opposing the traditional disposable culture. We work hard to get the most out of every resource and raw material.

Waste or raw material?

How we reduce waste

“The Belgian construction sector is already doing much better than the European average, but 16% of our construction and demolition waste still ends up in landfill. That adds up to more than 3 million tons of waste every year.

At Democo Green Desk we are aware of our responsibility in this matter. We try to produce as little waste as possible with a tailored waste and repurposing plan for each construction site. In the last year, we’ve succeeded in turning more than a hundred tons of material from waste into raw materials. And this is only the beginning!”

Frederik Bijnens, CEO Democo

Energy

A building process requires lots of energy. Both to build or demolish, the machines that are used consume a great deal of electricity. Democo Green Desk is looking for ways to implement as much green energy as possible during construction.

We also actively combat energy waste by reducing unnecessary standby consumption and increasing overall efficiency, using new techniques that are more cost and consumption efficient. The less energy is consumed on site, the closer we can get to running entirely on green energy!

Green energy powered by the neighbourhood

Solar energy from the very start

“For the construction site of Auguste in Brussels, we were able to install solar panels on a neighbouring residential building before construction started. This enabled us to use green energy from the very start and throughout the entire construction process!

It’s very important to us to have a positive impact on a neighbourhood. After construction finished, Auguste's neighbours bought the solar panels from us at cost, to keep using green energy."

Jorden, project leader Auguste

What is the self-sufficient building site?

The self-sufficient building site is a construction site that could provide itself with all the water and energy needed during the entire construction process, without being dependent on purchased electricity or city water.

Today, this is still highly ambitious in practice. But with this goal in mind, we can already significantly reduce the consumption of many construction sites. We limit the energy and water needed with construction techniques and use machines that are consumption-efficient and actively prevent the waste of resources and materials. We also create many of our own renewable resources to use on site.

 
Subscribe to Democo