China, Europe Go Ecological
by swisscham in Business
Partnerships are playing a key role in the greening of Chinese cities. Many Chinese cities are now focusing on improving air quality and providing smart services to their citizens to grow their municipal economies, while achieving the country’s five-year plan targets for a 17 % cut in carbon emissions and a 16 % cut in energy consumption. In cities where new models of sustainable urban planning recognize the role of energy saving and environmental protection as critical components, city officials are exploring new ways of financing, integrating and encouraging the use of innovative smart eco-technologies. Chinese mayors and developers are increasingly making agreements with their European counterparts to build green and healthy cities. Recent collaborations include: the Zhenjiang Sino-Swiss Ecological Industry Park, which will soon complete its Sino-Swiss R&D innovation center; the Qingdao Sino-German Ecopark; or the Beijing Sino-UK Green Building Park. China accounts for almost 42 % of all new buildings under construction worldwide: 2 billion sqm of new buildings are constructed annually, with more than 40 % of China’s total energy consumption directly or indirectly connected to construction.