China targets 30% of new build to be green by 2020

China aims for nearly a third of all new construction projects to be energy-efficient by 2020. An official document jointly released by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in May stated that policy incentives will be increased, industry standards improved and related industries developed to meet the target. 

The document also states China’s intention to bring its building energy consumption ratio closer to that of developed countries by 2020. China’s construction sector is projected to account for over 30% of total social energy consumption by 2020.

Deputy finance minister Zhang Shaochun expects the new policy to impact construction industry supply chains and drive growth in new building materials, new energy and related service sectors. He says the property sector uses half of the country’s steel and 60% of its cement.

Wang Youwei, deputy head of the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency, says the room for growth is immense as the total combined floor area of China’s existing energy-efficient buildings amounts to less than 40 million sq m.

According to the document, construction of energy-efficient buildings will be subsidised according to a three-tier grading system specified in a 2006 evaluation standard for green buildings. Builders of first-tier buildings are eligible to get 80 yuan (US$12) per square metre, and those of second-tier buildings, 45 yuan per square metre.

Also stated in the document are plans to apply green construction standards to all government-funded public welfare projects and low-income housing projects by 2014. (Source: Xinhua)