Decarbonisation of the Chinese Building Sector

The new flagship report "Accelerating the Decarbonization of China's Residential Building Sector: Policy insights from the EU", published by the RurEnergy project, provides an overview of the decarbonisation efforts of residential buildings in the EU. By identifying critical success factors of specific measures and assessing the current residential building policies in China, this report aims to offer valuable insights to accelerate the decarbonisation of China’s residential building sector.

With CO2 emissions exceeding 1.3 billion tonnes, the residential building sector accounts for nearly 60 per cent of all building-related emissions in China. To achieve the goal of peaking emissions before 2030, it is crucial to refurbish existing buildings to make them more energy efficient. This paper analyses important EU measures, such as minimum energy performance requirements for existing buildings (MEPRs), renovation passports, one-stop shops for advice, and carbon pricing (ETS2), as well as social policy measures.

Based on this analysis, researchers from the Wuppertal Institute and the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency (CABEE) recommend a number of tailored measures for china, including:

• introducing gradual efficiency standards for existing buildings and rural areas;
• transitioning from purely technical specifications to performance-based approaches;
• establishing local advice centres similar to One-Stop Shops in the EU;
• a stronger link between financial support and high efficiency standards as well as social orientation.

The report highlights the importance of expanding information and advisory services, and improving financial incentive schemes through diversification and performance-based support, while ensuring social inclusion.

With these proposals, the authors not only provide practical recommendations for Chinese policy but also a valuable contribution to the international discourse on a just and effective building transition.

The full report is available free of charge via the following link.