The State Council approved an action plan to speed up energy conservation and carbon reduction in the construction sector from the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and forwarded the plan to provincial governments across the nation and every ministry and institution under the State Council, calling for serious implementation, according to a circular issued on March 15.

According to the plan, by 2025, a better institutional system of energy conservation and carbon reduction in the construction sector will be established, and green building standards will be thoroughly implemented on newly constructed urban buildings. By 2027, buildings with ultra-low energy consumption will see large-scale development.

Measures will be taken to promote renovations and upgrades of existing urban buildings and to enhance the management of energy conservation and carbon reduction during the operation of buildings. Efforts on heat metering to promote metered charging based on usage will be strengthened.

The action plan also stressed improving the construction of green and low-carbon rural housing and adopting strict management on building demolitions.

Moreover, the research and promotion of advanced technologies for energy conservation and carbon reduction will be accelerated, the plan said. It also called for efforts to improve statistical and accounting systems of energy consumption and carbon emissions in the construction sector, and to intensify the supporting roles of laws, regulations and standards, as well as favorable policies and finance.