The World Green Building Council (World GBC ) announced a partnership with the China Green Building Council on Monday that could have significant repercussions, considering that China is the largest building construction market in the world with up to 20 billion square meters constructed annually.
The plan is to collaborate on efforts to increase green buildings around the world and to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Given the size of China’s building construction market — which is expected to account for nearly half of all new construction globally in the coming decade — the impact of joining the World GBC could yield immediate and important results.
Just as China has sought to assert its commitment to combating climate change on the global stage, this partnership marks a new era in cooperation between the world’s largest green construction market and the community of Green Building Councils in over 70 countries.
Already, China’s own green building efforts have yielded 523 million square meters of buildings certified green by China GBC’s Three Star green building rating system, making it one of the world’s leading green building sectors.
By signing with the World GBC, China’s efforts will receive outside support and aid, and could further help to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions — emissions which account for around 30% of all global emissions, the largest in the world.
China GBC will cooperate with national Green Building Councils around the world to leverage global practices and join in the World GBC’s movement in promoting the global uptake of green buildings.