Sustainability
Built with respect - for nature, and for Belgium
A net-zero Hindu temple, designed from the first stone in harmony with the climate, the landscape, and the sustainability goals of the commune that will host us. This is what dharma means in practice – care for the earth, for future generations, and for our neighbours.
In Hindu thought, the earth is sacred – Bhumi Devi, the goddess of the soil, sustains every act of worship. To build a temple that harms the land it stands on would betray the very tradition it is meant to honour. So we have set ourselves a clear standard: the Hindu temple in Belgium will be net-zero by design, fully aligned with the Vlaams Bouwbesluit and BREEAM-Belgium, and built as a long-term example of what a modern, sustainable place of worship can be.
This page sets out exactly what that means – for the site, the materials, the energy, the water, the waste, the air we breathe and the biodiversity around the building. None of it is decoration; all of it is part of the design brief we will hand to our Belgian architect.
Why
Three reasons. First, because dharma asks it of us. Care for nature is a foundational Hindu value – present in the Rig Veda, in the Bhagavad Gita, in the worship of rivers, mountains, trees and animals. A temple must reflect what it teaches.
Second, because Belgium asks it of us. The country we have chosen as home is a leader in climate policy, and the commune that hosts us will have its own sustainability ambitions. Our building will help that commune meet its goals, not work against them.
Third, because the future asks it of us. A temple is built for fifty years and more. The choices we make in 2026 will shape the energy bill, the air quality, the carbon footprint and the comfort of the building for generations after us. We want them to inherit a building worth inheriting.
Three promises
Everything we do flows from these three commitments. They are not aspirations – they are the design baseline
Net-zero energy
Over a year, the temple will produce as much clean energy as it uses. Solar arrays on the roof, deep insulation, natural light and ventilation, geothermal heating where the site allows, and smart controls combine to make this possible.
Net-zero waste
Single-use plastics will not be allowed on site. Composting, recycling, and re-use are designed into our operations from day one - including for festivals and the Annadanam kitchen, where waste reduction is most visible.
Net-zero carbon
Locally sourced and low-carbon materials in construction. A building that operates without fossil fuels. Carbon offsetting for any unavoidable emissions during construction. The whole life-cycle of the building points to zero.
Nine commitments
Sourced directly from the design brief in our proposal to the commune, in the order they shape the building.
Green architecture
Natural light and natural ventilation are not afterthoughts - they are the design starting point. Used well, they can reduce energy use by 30–60% compared to a conventionally lit and ventilated building of the same size.
Green architecture
Natural light and natural ventilation are not afterthoughts - they are the design starting point. Used well, they can reduce energy use by 30–60% compared to a conventionally lit and ventilated building of the same size.
Solar-ready energy
Solar panels on the roof - sized to meet the full electricity demand of the building over a year, with grid feed-in for surplus. Where the site supports it, geothermal heating will complement solar.
Eco materials
Locally sourced wherever possible. Recycled where appropriate. Low-carbon throughout. We will avoid materials whose extraction or production damages communities elsewhere - the principle of ahimsa, non-harm, extended to the supply chain.
Water saving
Rainwater harvesting from the temple roof and surrounding surfaces, stored for landscape irrigation, ritual use and cleaning. Greywater recycling for the gardens. Low-flow fixtures throughout. Belgian rain - abundant and reliable - becomes a resource, not a runoff problem.
Biodiversity
Native plant species in the gardens, chosen with help from Belgian ecologists. Bird-friendly zones around the building. Insect hotels, bee-supportive plantings, and a small protected wild corner for amphibians where the site allows. The temple grounds will support local biodiversity, not erode it.
Natural cooling
Deep insulation. Green walls that cool and absorb CO₂. Shading trees, planted with native species. Natural cross-ventilation through the prayer hall and community spaces. We aim to need no mechanical air-conditioning for most of the year - Belgian summers permitting.
Healthy air
Non-toxic paints, adhesives and finishes throughout. Indoor plants in every gathering space - a Hindu tradition that also happens to be excellent air-quality engineering. Particular attention to the kitchen and to incense use, both of which can otherwise compromise indoor air.
Zero waste
Composting for organic waste from the Annadanam kitchen and rituals. Full recycling streams. No single-use plastics - at any festival, of any kind. A reusable plate-and-cup programme for community meals.
Standards
We do not invent our own sustainability metrics. We commit to the standards already trusted in Belgium.
BREEAM-Belgium
The internationally recognised green-building certification, adapted for Belgian conditions. The design will target a strong BREEAM rating, covering energy, water, materials, health and ecology.
Vlaams Bouwbesluit
Full compliance with Flemish construction and energy regulations as a minimum – and where possible, exceeding the requirements rather than just meeting them.
Net-zero ready by design
Even before formal certification, the building will be net-zero ready in design – meaning every choice is checked against energy, water and waste targets, and corrected before construction rather than after.
Lifecycle
Sustainability is not a one-off decision at the start of a project. It is a discipline carried through every phase of the building’s life.
Design phase
Carried out by a Belgian architect bound by our sustainability brief, working with engineers and an ecologist from the earliest sketches. The design is checked at each stage against the nine commitments above, and revised wherever it falls short.
Construction phase
Belgian contractors selected partly on their environmental track record. A waste plan for the construction site itself. Carbon accounting for unavoidable emissions, with offsetting committed in advance through reputable Belgian or international projects.
Operating phase
An annual sustainability report, alongside our financial report, published publicly. Energy use, water consumption, waste streams, and biodiversity indicators measured each year. A volunteer sustainability committee that reviews the data and proposes improvements.
Beyond
A net-zero building is the foundation, not the whole story. Our temple will be a centre of community practice for sustainable living – through everyday example and through specific programmes.
- Community workshops on sustainable cooking, water-saving in the home, and waste reduction during festivals.
- An annual Earth Day event built around Bhumi Devi puja – celebrating Hindu reverence for the earth as a living tradition.
- Partnership with local Belgian environmental groups, schools and the commune on shared biodiversity and climate projects.
- An open invitation to architecture schools and journalists to study the building – so what we learn can help other places of worship across Europe build the same way.
“Yatha pinde, tatha brahmande – as in the body, so in the cosmos. A temple that exhausts the earth that holds it has not understood its own teaching.”
Net-zero energy • Net-zero waste • Net-zero carbon • 100% community-funded.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The world is one family.