Green buildings mushroom in Shanghai
The number of green buildings has risen rapidly in Shanghai as enthusiasm for sustainable construction continues to grow. Increased awareness of the efficient use of resources and the reduction of negative impacts on health and the environment are evident, industry experts told a forum held today in the city.
By the end of last year Shanghai was home to 398 green buildings — with a gross floor area of 7.56 million square meters — an increase of 101 from the end of 2015, according to Gan Zhongze, president of the Shanghai Green Building Council.
"Shanghai has already become one of the leading cities in China in terms of sustainable design and construction," Gan told the forum. "In the next step, more attention should be paid to operations so as to check the actual results."
His views were echoed by Shui On Land, one of the earliest developers in the country to adopt a sustainable strategy. Most renowned for its Xintiandi shopping and leisure project in downtown Shanghai, the company won China's first LEED Platinum certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for its Xihu Tiandi project in neighbouring Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
"Having officially incorporated sustainability into our corporate strategy since 2006, our company has been committed to a green management system focusing on planning, design, construction and operation," said Albert Chan, director of development planning and design at Shui On Land.
"We've set six major goals of sustainable development for the next five years through 2021, which has covered LEED and green building certifications, carbon emissions, energy and water resource monitoring systems, and a new environment and health index on our projects."
The company aims to reduce one third of carbon emissions from its owned properties by 2021, based on the 2011 level. In the five years through 2016, carbon emissions per unit area had been reduced by 25.3 percent, which outperformed its earlier target of 20 percent.
In the five years through 2016, carbon emissions per unit area had already been reduced by 25.3 percent, which outperformed the earlier target of 20 percent.