From China Dialogue:
Adopting sustainable architecture will bring China great environmental gains with little effort, writes Pan Jiahua. If the country really wants to build a “frugal society”, this is how.
Sustainable architecture also provides potential savings in energy consumed by heating and air conditioning. Only 10% to 15% of buildings constructed in China in recent years meet national energy-saving targets. Of the 40 billion square metres of urban buildings, 95% are classified as high energy consumers. Tests carried out in the city of Tianjin showed that residential compounds whose buildings met national standards could reduce energy used for heating by up to 30%. [Full Text]
Pan Jiahua is the vice-principal of the Center for Urban Development and Environment, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
