Starting a few years ago, China introduced several policies to support the implementation of green buildings including sustainable property development projects.
This paper examines six conducted studies with different approaches in order to determine the greatest barriers for implementation and how the Chinese government is making use of green technologies in terms of improving the environment.
The issue of additional cost, incremental time, the bureaucratic system and the lack of public interest and information play a major role for the evaluation. Research findings provide an analysis of the current state of affairs, gives a critical summary and lists possible solutions to make the green building program more efficient.
Enforceable regulations, a more transparent governance, credible evaluation processes, flexible incentives for developers, and a supportive environment for public interests groups, as well as a green strategy plan are all options to be considered.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Research methodology
3. Findings and discussion
3.1 Critical factors for green construction
3.2 Measuring “greenness”
3.3 Ecological modernization
3.4 A case study for price gaps
3.5 Public awareness
3.6 State policies
4. Conclusions
Objective and Research Focus
This paper examines whether the Chinese government's current initiatives and policies regarding green buildings are sufficient to drive significant environmental change. The research evaluates the effectiveness of these measures by analyzing existing studies on implementation barriers, market behaviors, and governmental strategies.
- Analysis of key barriers for green construction (cost, time, and information).
- Evaluation of governmental influence on sustainable building practices.
- Investigation of the gap between luxurious, "green" prestige projects and actual resource efficiency.
- Assessment of public awareness and its impact on the demand for green real estate.
- Identification of potential strategies, such as green strategy plans and more transparent governance, to improve future implementation.
Excerpts from the Book
A case study for price gaps
In rich cities, because of high real estate prices, governments feel more confident to issue higher environmental standards for buildings. Less developed regions, where real estate prices are compared lower, face lower to almost no pressure from the government to reduce carbon footprints. The main problem can be illustrated by two projects in Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province. The first project is the Alfa International Community, designed by an American architecture firm with high-tech features such as a geothermal pump, solar street lighting, Low-E windows, external metal shades, an air circulation system, and a copper pipe system. The second project is the Mantingchun, the first rated 3-star green building in Jiangxi, built by a leading Chinese developer. It features a geothermal pump, well-insulated walls and windows, rain collection and grey water recycling facilities. As it turned out in 2013, prices in the Alfa complex averaged ¥13,000/m², whereas prices in the Mantingchun complex averaged only ¥7,500/m². Also, Alfa had higher management fees and heating/cooling costs. In this case, Alfa has a far higher profit margin, just because of the more visibly luxurious complex. Luxury projects are more attractive for the government due to the rise in land lease prices.
For the same (economical) reasons, more than 200 Chinese cities have already declared eco-city plans. The ecological factor is therefore not at all as important as the economical factor.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter highlights the significant environmental impact of the construction sector in China and introduces the concept of "Green construction" as a necessary response to resource consumption and pollution.
Research methodology: This chapter outlines the diverse academic sources and research approaches used, including questionnaires, case studies, and literature reviews to understand the current status of green construction.
Findings and discussion: This section provides a detailed analysis of implementation barriers, the challenge of measuring "greenness," the complexities of ecological modernization, and the role of public policy versus economic interests.
Conclusions: This chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that while green building programs exist, they are hampered by bureaucratic inefficiencies, a focus on luxury over efficiency, and a lack of public engagement.
Keywords
Green buildings, China, Construction industry, Environmental policy, Sustainable development, Ecological modernization, Implementation barriers, Government regulations, Green rating system, Resource efficiency, Property development, Public awareness, Urbanization, Economic growth, Carbon footprint.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental objective of this research paper?
The paper aims to evaluate whether the Chinese government's efforts and policies concerning green buildings are effective and sufficient enough to trigger a meaningful change in the country's environmental state.
What are the primary thematic areas covered in the analysis?
The study focuses on critical implementation barriers, the role of governmental policy, market behavior in the green real estate sector, and the influence of public awareness on sustainable building practices.
What research methodology does the author employ?
The author conducts a comprehensive analysis by synthesizing results from several pre-existing studies, including data from questionnaires, assessments of "green" rankings, and case studies of specific construction projects in China.
What is considered the main barrier to the implementation of green buildings?
The study identifies additional costs, incremental time, and a general lack of available information and reliable suppliers as the primary obstacles preventing the widespread adoption of green construction technologies.
How does the paper characterize the influence of the Chinese government?
The government is described as having invested heavily in clean technology and setting ambitious targets, but its top-down, bureaucratic approach often results in fragmented, inconsistent implementation that fails to address market distortions.
Which key terms best describe this work?
Relevant keywords include green buildings, ecological modernization, environmental policy, sustainable construction, China's property market, and public awareness.
How do luxury real estate projects influence the "green" movement in China?
Luxury projects often use green technology primarily to justify higher prices and increase profit margins, rather than prioritizing genuine resource efficiency, which makes them more attractive to governments focused on rising land lease prices.
Why is public awareness considered a critical failure in current policies?
Current programs rely too heavily on bureaucratic channels and lack strategies for independent public participation, leading to a situation where potential buyers are largely uninformed about the benefits or performance of green-labeled buildings.
- Quote paper
- Christoph Kotsch (Author), 2015, Is the Chinese government using green buildings sufficiently enough to evoke a change in the environment?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/338546
