In a sense, the country's resolve to realize its goals in energy saving and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions hinges on whether it can successfully deliver the green message to the construction sector.
Without innovations, buildings and houses constructed in the past paid little attention to energy saving or environmental impact. They continued to bite into in the country's energy consumption.
New buildings, if allowed to be built under the same outdated standards, could only make the picture gloomier.
However, there is little chance of such an undesirable prospect now happening, thanks to a series of steps taken by concerned authorities this year to implement the amended law on conserving energy that was adopted last month.
The law provides a legal basis for the Ministry of Construction to set new requirements or standards for energy saving in civilian buildings.
Starting this month, a first-ever set of national standards on green building appraisal will be implemented. The ministry will award a green building logo to buildings that have met the standards.
To apply for such a logo, developers and constructors will have to strictly follow the country's new standards that cover all the necessary steps and processes in building a house – from the blueprints, choice of energy saving building materials to the heating and lighting systems.
The new move is expected to contribute to the national effort in energy saving by cutting down the energy consumption of new buildings by a considerable margin.
China has set a target to cut 20 percent of energy consumption per unit of GDP from 2006 to 2010. To meet the goal, the State Council, the country's cabinet, has required the construction sector to contribute to 30 percent of the country's total energy savings.
The green standards will help usher in a new approach to buildings as real estate developers will have to adopt new technologies that are energy thrift and environmentally friendly. This will in turn give impetus to the research and development of new energy saving techniques.
Last but not the least, the appearance of buildings with green logos will also help raise the awareness of consumers and city dwellers on energy saving and environmental protection.
