China is working on the criteria for "green" buildings, and plans to publish them in a few months, said Qiu Baoxing, vice construction minister in Beijing Monday.
According to the standards, green buildings must save 65 percent of energy per unit compared with traditional buildings, Qiu said at the First International Intelligent and Green Building Conference that opened Monday.
Green buildings' water-saving rate should increase by 30 percent while the consumption of non-renewable resources should be reduced by 30 percent, he said.
"Compared with the current standard on energy-saving buildings, the criteria for green buildings focus on both pollution reduction and energy efficiency," said Qiu.
Green buildings, also called sustainable buildings, strive to provide healthy, safe and comfortable living environments while consuming as few resources as possible and exerting minimal negative influence on the natural environment.
Ministry statistics show that among China's 40 billion square meters of existing buildings, over 95 percent are highly energy-consuming. By the year of 2020, China will see another 30 billion square meters of new buildings.
"It is urgent to publicize criteria for green buildings before the building boom in the next 15 years," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2005)
