Low Carbon Development of China's Building Sector for Mitigating Global Warming

This paper attempts to analyze the role of building sector in China in addressing climate change mitigation. Based on a comprehensive overview of building demand characteristics and development trends driven by economic and demographic growth, different policy tools for cost-effective CO2 emission reduction in the Chinese construction sector are described. This paper proposes a comprehensive approach combining building design and construction, and energy efficiency, so as to promote low carbon development of China's Building Sector during this period of rapid urban development. Regulatory and incentive options should be integrated to realize sizeable carbon emissions cuts in the next decades. Finally the paper analyzes in detail several policies and instruments, and formulates relevant policy proposals fostering low carbon building sector in China.