Senior officials from Beijing, Fuzhou, Qingdao and Shanghai have pledged to remove greenhouse gas emissions from their buildings.
The initiative, led by C40 cities, will develop a range of innovative policies to reduce emissions from existing buildings. This will ensure that they meet ultra-low energy consumption levels and promote the use of buildings as a source of low carbon energy by 2020.
Yong Wu, President of the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency, said: “The China Association of Building Energy Efficiency is looking forward to cooperating with C40 on the China Buildings Programme.”
China is rapidly urbanising with a further 280 million greenhouse gas emissions expected to be added by Chinese citizens.
China continues to build an average of two billion square metres of new buildings each year. As a result, buildings contribute to 20 per cent of china’s emissions and measures need to be implemented to reduce this growing air pollution.
The Chinese Government hope to ensure that global leaders can follow in their footsteps.
Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, said: “The C40 China Buildings Programme will not only help accelerate and strengthen such policies in Chinese cities, but the lessons learnt in Beijing, Fuzhou, Qingdao, and Shanghai will inspire mayors around the world to step up their ambition and help deliver on the Paris Climate Agreement.”
Other cities across the world have also taken to reducing their buildings emissions. Notably, New York has pledged to cut energy in the biggest buildings by 20 per cent by 2030 to keep on track with their ultimate goal of 80 per cent by 2050.
By Rachel Cooper, Climate Action
