"The
construction industry is enormous and it covers everything from
making bricks to designers and engineers and every one of them
has to do something different in order for green to succeed."
"The only criteria [government officials] have in mind is, 'Build the tall buildings - if I can build the tall buildings…the tallest one in my region, then my political career is good.'"
"Young
people in China are worried about the environment…up to about
college age. Post college, they’re in the workforce…those are
the people who are enjoying life (up until their mid-thirties)
then they start having kids and then there’s some concern about
the environment, especially the home environment. Beyond that
you get into the 40s and up groups and those people care less
and less."
We travelled to China wondering how Chinese people defined
green building. Would it be taken literally to mean more trees
and grass? Would it only relate to energy efficiency? We found
a wide discrepency of awareness and attitudes toward green construction.
Central government leaders know the issues and are changing
their policies to encourage sustainable development. And even
some local officials, such as in the port city of Lianyungang
north of Shanghai, showed us their detailed sustainable development
strategies. Focus should be placed on educating local government
officials, mass-market developers and builders, as well as the
general public.
The team interviewing local government
officials in Lianyungang
Central
Government
In the past, the government saw economic
development as a tool to maintain stability and encouraged
it regardless of cost to the environment. This has changed
in the past 2 years. Officials see the environmental degredation
and the unsustainability of the current development path.
In addition to climate change, the government
is concerned about increasing dependence on foreign oil
and other fossil fuels and the majority of green building
initiatives focus on energy efficiency.
There are factions within the central
government vying for influence over China's development
path. The primary struggle is between the National Development
and Reform Commission (NDRC), which is in control of development
funds, and the State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), which want to push stricter environmental regulations. Hear more here.
China already has one of the most
efficient recycling systems in the world
Local
Government
Local governments are increasingly pressured by the central
government to improve energy efficiency and meet new environmental
targets.
They are looking to foreign industry professionals for outside
expertise and to lead pilot projects and city-wide sustainable
development strategies.
Many major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, are taking
the initiative to adopt stricter environmental regulations ahead
of schedule. This can be seen in their more aggressive vehicle
emissions and building energy efficiency standards.
Many local governments are struggling to develop basic infrastructure
for their municipalities such as waste water management facilities
and power plants. Most do not know about opportunities for decentralized
utilities.
Developers
High-end developers are increasingly engaging in green building
projects with the key driver being a potential to differentiate
and increase profit margins. They often look to international
certifications such as LEED. The challenge will be to get mass
market developers, particularly in the residential market, to
build sustainably.
Land use rights in China range from 50-70 years and interviewees mentioned this influences
market attitudes towards building lifetimes.
Industry
Professionals
Many building professionals are quite knowledgeable about energy-efficient
(not necessarily green) building techniques and renewable energy
technologies.
Mass-market builders and construction laborers are focused almost
exclusively on speed. Quality, let alone the environment, is
often disregarded.
The majority of construction laborers are part-time workers
from the surrounding rural areas. They are generally low-skilled
and unable to implement modern building techniques (such as
installing a vapor barrier).
General
Public
In one generation, many urban Chinese have achieved a level
of economic development that took the West over three generations
to achieve. They have refrigerators, computers and cars.
Their next major purchase will be a home, but few include green
building aspects in their selection criteria and instead focus
on location and external design features.
In general, people are quite satisfied with the new generation
of government leadership. Nevertheless, the public is increasingly
demanding health and safety as well as clean food, water and
air.
Rural Chinese aspire to own their own red brick or concrete
homes and look down on the use of natural building materials
(straw bale, cob, rammed earth, etc.) These materials are too
similar to the mud and straw huts of their recent past. It is
essential to link green building techniques such as natural
building and various energy efficiency technologies with aspirational,
"modern" imagery.
In addition to making green design modern and aspirational,
linkages with the health and comfort of loved ones and future
generations resonates well with the general public.
There is an opportunity for the commercial sector to educate
consumers in green construction. Interviewees mentioned the
enormous potential impact a green campaign from a universally
recognized physical retailer such as Starbucks could have on
the general public.
INTERVIEW
CLIPS, click ‘play’ to see the selected clip from the
list below:
Rob
Watson English
Integrated Green Solutions Provider in New York
Chairman, CEO & Chief Scientist
American SinoTech www.american-sinotech.com
A pioneer of the modern green building movement for over twenty years,
Rob helped develop the USGBC's LEED green building rating system. He
was also deeply involved in the construction of China's 1st green
building, Accord 21. He is also involved with JUCCCE. View Bio
History of the building industry and
changing government attitudes.
Charles
R. McElwee English
Environmental lawyer in Shanghai (上海)
Counsel
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. www.ssd.com
Charles advises foreign companies on environmental compliance
issues in China as well as the opportunities that have been
created by China's environmental situation. He is also involved
with JUCCCE. View Bio
Changing attitudes within the central government.
Curt
Weinstein English
Product manufacturer in Shanghai (上海)
General Manager China, Environmental Technologies (总经理-中国 环境科技)
Corning (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (康宁（上海）有限公司) www.corning.com.cn
Curt heads up Corning's China operations which primarily produce
ceramic substrates for vehicle carburators and other pollution
control devices. He has a wealth of experience manufacturing
and selling high-technology environmental products in China. View Bio
Internal government struggles to balance
economic development and the environment.
Wang
Hong (汪洪)
Chinese/English
Green building consultant in Beijing
General Manager (中国区总经理)
Environmental Management Solutions, Inc. (EMSI) (美国EMSI环境管理咨询有限公司) www.emsi-green.com
Wang Hong heads up EMSI's China operations which have consulted
on almost 30 LEED projects in the country. View Bio
Green in the media and discrepency between
major and peripheral cities.
David
Zhou (周大荣)
Chinese/English
Architect in Beijing (北京)
Associate (项目总监)
Roggeo Design Associates, Inc. (诺杰国际) www.roggeo.com
Developing countries and environmental awareness.
Leon
Huang (黄文亮)
Chinese/English
Architect and Community Planner in Tianjin
Senior Planner and Project Manager
Huahui Design Co., Ltd. (华汇还境规划设计顾问有限公司)
Leon has planned developments throughout China and is deeply
involved with Harrison Fraker and Arup on the planning of
the Qingdao Eco Block. View Bio
People are generally satisfied with their leaders.
Lao Weixing
(劳卫星)
Chinese
Government official in Cixi, Zhejiang (浙江慈溪)
Senior Engineer (高级工程师)
Cixi Construction Bureau (慈溪建设局) www.cixi.gov.cn
The city of Cixi's perspective on sustainable development.
Qian
Defu (钱德福)
Chinese
Government official in Lianyungang, Jiangsu (江苏连云港)
Deputy Director General of the Urban Planning Bureau;
Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group (副主任，连云港市规划局党组副书记，规划局副局长，注册规划师)
Lianyungang Development District of Technology and
Economy www.lyg.gov.cn
Qian Defu led the creation of his city's sustainable development
plan and is striving to reshape the image of Lianyungang,
making it an international port city that is not only a key
Chinese logistic hub but also environmentally friendly, innovative
and modern.
The city of Lianyungang's perspective on sustainable development.
Yang
Guoxiong (杨国雄)
Chinese
Government official in Beijing (北京)
Office Rank Consultant (副主任)
National Research Center for S&T Development,
China Ministry of Science and Technology (中国科技部科技促进开发中心) www.nrcstd.org.cn
Yang Guoxiong worked with Rob Watson and Jin Ruidong to construct
Accord 21, China's first truly green building. Currently he
travels around China giving speeches promoting the idea of
sustainable development and green construction.
One offical's experience learning green building
does not just mean energy efficiency.
Roger
Wood English
Green building consultant in London
Associate Director
Arup www.arup.com/europe
Roger is a civil engineer with Arup and has been the project manager
for the Shanghai Dongtan Eco-City project for the past 3.5 years.
Dongtan is an 86 sq km (33 sq mi) site located on Chongming island,
the 3rd largest in China, and will be the first "truly environmentally
and economically sustainable city."
The affect following business as usual on city design.
Silas
Chiow (周学望)
English/Chinese
Architect in Shanghai
Associate Partner / Director of Business Development (副合伙人，大中国区业务总监，美国注册建筑师)
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) www.som.com
Silas oversees SOM's China business and design. He is also closely
affiliated with the Urban Land Institute. SOM did the design for the Xintiandi development in Shanghai and their sustainability design
was chosen for Chongming island, off Shanghai (the site of the planned Dongtan Eco-City). View Bio
Public officials' image of modernization.
Jervy
Zhu Chinese/English
Architect in Shanghai (上海)
Asia Operations Manager (亚洲部执行主管)
GBBN Architects (GBBN建筑师事务所) www.gbbn.com
GBBN has a strategic partnership with China's largest residential
developer, Vanke (万科集团) and Jervy heads up GBBN's China operations.
Jin Ruidong Chinese/English
Green building advocacy in Beijing (北京)
Green Building Project Director, China Program (绿色建筑中国项目总监)
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
(美国自然资源保护委员会) www.nrdc.org
Jin Ruidong worked with the NRDC and US DOE to build the first
LEED gold certified green building in China and also helped
China Ministry of Construction to develop several building
energy efficiency standards for state and local governments. View Bio
History of government attitudes.
Dr. Jean
Rogers English
Green building consultant in San Francisco
Associate Principal
Arup www.arup.com
Jean is leading Arup's sustainability consulting on the Qingdao
Eco Block project with Harrison Fraker and Leon Huang. She is
also leading Arup's work with San Francisco's Treasure Island community. View Bio
Green building viewed as an imperative and not a luxury.
Jin Ruidong Chinese/English
Green building advocacy in Beijing (北京)
Green Building Project Director, China Program (绿色建筑中国项目总监)
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (美国自然资源保护委员会) www.nrdc.org
Jin Ruidong worked with the NRDC and US DOE to build the first
LEED gold certified green building in China and also helped
China Ministry of Construction to develop several building
energy efficiency standards for state and local governments. View Bio
Wang
Hui (王辉)
Chinese
Architect in Beijing (北京)
Partner
Beijing Limited_Design Ltd., Beijing 2529 Architect
Studio, 北京有限设计有限公司合伙人,北京二五二九建筑工作室合伙人 www.mima.cn
Wang Hui’s design work has been featured in over 17 domestic
and international exhibitions. Recent projects include the
Beijing Worker’s Stadium Retrofit and Beijing 798 Art District. View Bio
Land rights drive Chinese views of buildings.
Qian
Yingchu (钱颖初)
Chinese/English
Green building consultant in Shanghai (上海)
District Manager (Shanghai & South China), Director
of Projects (区城经理（上海及南中国），兼项目总监)
Environmental Management Solutions, Inc. (EMSI) (上海EMSI环境管理咨询有限公司) www.emsi-green.com
Qian Yingchu has consulted on a number of LEED project in
China and also has experience with training programs for government
officials. View Bio
What is needed to get developers to build green.
Dr. Roland
Winkler German/English/Chinese
Sustainable construction consultant in Shanghai (上海)
Project Development Coordinator, Building, Energy & Environment
Econet China www.china.ahk.de
Roland founded a green building association called Sinobao which
initiated a green building expo between Hamburg and Shanghai
called Ecobuild Shanghai 2006. He also has a sustainable development consulting firm based in Munich. He is also involved with JUCCCE. View Bio
Tate
Miller English/Chinese
Industry and Trade representative in Beijing (北京)
China Director for Trade Policy (贸易政策中国总监)
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) (美国林业及纸业协会) www.afandpa-china.org
Tate oversees all of AF&PA's policy issues and acting
as the primary liaison between Chinese government officials
and forest product industry groups. View Bio
The consumer market has the potential to drive
awareness within the general public.
Hannah
Routh English
Environmental consultant in Beijing (北京)
Managing Director (经理)
ESD Sinosphere (博信国际信息咨询公司) www.camcoglobal.com
Hannah is working with REEEP to explore carbon finance options
for the building industry. She is also working with Jason
Hu to ensure his One Planet Living community will be carbon
neutral. She is also involved with JUCCCE.
Importance of aspirational position for green products.
Qian
Yingchu (钱颖初)
Chinese/English
Green building consultant in Shanghai (上海)
District Manager (Shanghai & South China), Director
of Projects (区城经理（上海及南中国），兼项目总监)
Environmental Management Solutions, Inc. (EMSI)
(上海EMSI环境管理咨询有限公司) www.emsi-green.com
Qian Yingchu has consulted on a number of LEED project in
China and also has experience with training programs for government
officials. View Bio
Role of media in promoting green building.
Wang
Hui (王辉)
Chinese
Architect in Beijing (北京)
Partner
Beijing Limited_Design Ltd., Beijing 2529 Architect Studio, 北京有限设计有限公司合伙人, 北京二五二九建筑工作室合伙人 www.mima.cn
Wang Hui’s design work has been featured in over 17 domestic
and international exhibitions. Recent projecs include the
Beijing Worker’s Stadium Retrofit and Beijing 798 Art District. View Bio
Green attitudes and awareness within the general public.
