Some 43% of Dutch offices do not have an energy label of at least C, even though this will be required by law from January next year, according to research by property advisory group Colliers.

Some 10% of offices are currently graded D or lower, while the rest do not have an energy label at all, Colliers said. While around half the offices without a label will probably qualify for at least a C, the rest will need to make investments.

In total, 16 million square metres of office space – mainly buildings built before 1989 –  still need to be made more energy efficient.

The decision to require offices to get labeled was taken in 2016. The owners of properties which don’t make the grade can face heavy fines or even closure, but the Colliers report shows that many don’t expect their local authority to enforce the rules.