China eyes sustainable urban development with planned projects

China will launch a number of projects supported by key technologies and equipment for sustainable urban development during its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period to respond the government's call to achieve green and high-quality development, said industrial experts.

"We will seize a new round of technological progress in the construction industry brought about by technologies such as digitalization, informatization, new energy and materials to ensure the implementation of these projects," said Wang Xiaolong, an official at the department of science and technology for social development of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

He made the remarks at a book launch ceremony held by China Construction Technology Consulting Co Ltd (CCTC), the centrally-administered State-owned enterprise in Beijing earlier this week. The company released a set of guidebooks for green architectural design for different sectors such as architecture, structure, electromechanics and landscape.

Cui Kai, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and CCTC's chief architect, said green architectural design mainly implements five principles, including localization, humanization and low-carbonization.

He said professional companies need to have a bigger role with more opportunities, especially in the domain of smart buildings, new cities and new infrastructure projects. New materials and technological methods, 5G, the internet of things and artificial intelligence are all important tools to facilitate these projects.

According to the annual Government Work Report this year, China will make concrete efforts to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality-the realization of net zero carbon emissions-by 2060. China will draw up an action plan for peak carbon emissions and improve its industrial structure and energy mix, the report said.

For instance, Beijing's green preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics are on course to leave a legacy in low-carbon urban development, with the use of clean energy and sustainable venues setting the standard, he said.

Two years since unveiling their master plan for carbon neutralization, Beijing 2022 organizers have already seen their vision for energy conservation and carbon-emission reductions materialize on all fronts, hoping these innovations will help guide the future sustainable development of China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.