Carbon Neutrality Strategy and Advancements in China's Building Sector

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the current status of carbon emissions in China's construction sector, carbon emission reduction policies, technical pathways, and the development and application of new low-carbon technologies, while forecasting the future direction of technological development.
China has established the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 as a national policy. Avoiding the repetition of developed countries' mistakes in carbon emission reduction, which were preceded by high energy consumption before their carbon peak, has become a critical issue. Given that construction-related carbon emissions account for one-third of total societal carbon emissions, the construction sector bears an important responsibility in assisting the country in achieving its carbon neutrality goal.
As a developing country, China's per capita building energy consumption and energy consumption per floor area are significantly lower than those of developed countries. Therefore, unlike developed countries, China's strategy for achieving low-carbon or zero-carbon goals in the construction sector requires a novel indoor environmental approach to fulfill the demands for health, comfort, and carbon reduction. Reforms must be implemented on both the supply side and consumption side of building energy.
The supply-side reform of building energy encompasses the full electrification of buildings, the extensive utilization of renewable and natural energy sources, and the recovery and utilization of waste heat. Reforms on the building energy consumption side include reducing building energy demand and developing new technologies to provide personalized and precise services for achieving indoor objectives. Information technology is utilized to intelligently identify and control indoor requirements, thereby fulfilling the targets of indoor environmental goals.
Therefore, the strategy and technology for indoor environmental control will undergo significant transformations. Achieving breakthroughs in certain key core technologies necessitates advancements in multiple domains. The paper highlights that these objectives will be attained through interdisciplinary collaboration and the integration of modern digital technologies.