China will see a construction boom of green, energy-efficient buildings in the coming 15 years, Qiu Baoxing, vice minister of construction, said Wednesday.
By 2020, China will transform all existing buildings into energy-saving buildings, Qiu said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office.
Buildings built after 2005 will embrace new technology that could save 65 percent more energy per square meter compared with buildings built now, Qiu said.
According to ministry statistics, the energy consumption per unit for Chinese construction is two or three times that of developed countries.
Currently, energy-saving buildings in China occupy less than one percent of the country's total construction by square meter.
"It is urgent for China to promote energy-efficiency and green buildings since the fast pace of China's industrialization and urbanization has posed great pressure on the supply of energy and resources," Qiu said.
He said that with a scientific and systematic design, energy-efficient and green buildings embraced high technologies including natural ventilation, natural lighting and water recycling.
"The cost of green buildings, saving 60 percent of the energy per unit, is only five to seven percent higher than the ordinary buildings, but it will greatly reduce energy consumption and environment pollution," Qiu said.
The Kyoto Protocol, which took effect earlier this month, has provided a golden opportunity for China to develop green, energy-saving buildings, said Qiu.
To involve developing countries in reducing the emission of "greenhouse gases," the Protocol includes a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Industrialized countries may input funds into projects that cut or avoid emissions in poor nations. The developed countries then are awarded credits that can be applied to meeting their own emissions targets.
China's energy-efficient building constructions could be completed through international cooperation in CDM projects, he said.
The First International Conference on Technologies of Intelligent and Green Buildings will be held next month in Beijing."The conference will provide a platform for us to look for international business partners to start CDM projects," Qiu said.
