By Du Yanfei
Date: November 18, 2024
Source: People’s Daily
In modern construction, walls are no longer merely made of concrete and steel; instead, they can be composed of photovoltaic panels that generate electricity. In northern regions, diverse clean heating methods are leading to a greener energy structure in buildings. An increasing range of green building materials is emerging, contributing to energy conservation and carbon reduction while enhancing the quality of life for residents.
In recent years, under the backdrop of achieving carbon neutrality, the concepts of green consumption and low-carbon lifestyles have penetrated deeper into society. The building materials industry is now focused on how to drive its own green transformation and development.
A joint document issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and ten other departments, titled “Work Plan for Stabilizing Growth in the Building Materials Industry,” emphasizes the promotion of green building materials and the cultivation of a green consumption mindset. This includes initiatives such as deepening the promotion of green building materials in rural areas, expanding their use in urban settings, and improving the certification system for green building materials.
According to data from the China National Building Material Federation, consumption in the decorative renovation sector grew by 6.8% from January to September this year. Currently, 72 types of building materials have been incorporated into the green building material certification system, with revenues from green building materials increasing by over 10%.
To encourage more companies to provide high-quality green building materials and enhance consumer benefits, the China National Building Material Federation, along with several organizations, recently launched the “2024 Building Materials Industry Exchange and Upgrade Campaign.” This initiative involves 43 key enterprises from 8 categories, offering a wide range of building materials, including lightweight materials, paints, ceramic sanitary ware, ceilings, doors, windows, drying racks, and furniture flooring. This initiative aims to make it easier for consumers to replace old materials and be more willing to upgrade, thereby supporting the green transformation of the building materials industry.
In line with the “Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of the Green Building Materials Industry” released by MIIT and other agencies, relevant departments will focus on enhancing product varieties. They plan to develop green building materials tailored to various application scenarios, including low-carbon and zero-carbon projects, urban renewal, and green low-carbon construction for rural housing. They also aim to support regions with favorable conditions in building top-tier green building material brands and encourage enterprises to invest in brand development, cultivating distinctive, competitive, and reputable trademarks.
“Comprehensive green transformation is an essential requirement for high-quality development in the building materials industry, a powerful driving force, and a key criterion for measuring its progress,” stated Yan Xiaofeng, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the China National Building Material Federation, at the 2024 Building Materials Industry Conference. He emphasized that the industry must prioritize comprehensive green transformation as the main axis for enhancing quality, addressing issues such as excess cement production capacity, improving resource utilization, transitioning energy structures, and fostering new green low-carbon industries.
With policy guidance, many building materials companies are accelerating technological innovation to promote green development within the industry. “In recent years, the building materials sector has faced new changes in supply and demand relations, demand structures, and driving forces, arriving at a critical juncture for structural adjustment. At this turning point, innovation must lead the way, and accelerating the transition from old to new growth drivers has become an urgent need,” remarked Zhou Yuxian, Chairman of China National Building Material Group. He highlighted that the group is prioritizing technological innovation as a top initiative and is committed to both ends of the spectrum to facilitate a swift transformation, focusing on cultivating new productive forces as a key strategy for adapting to change and driving high-quality growth.
Industry insiders argue that the building materials sector should leverage the primary role of enterprises in innovation, concentrating efforts on overcoming key green and low-carbon technology challenges, promoting the application of new green low-carbon technologies and processes, and actively exploring “extreme energy efficiency” to advance the sector’s green and low-carbon transformation.