Unlocking New Opportunities for Carbon Neutrality in China’s Building Sector

The report argues that achieving a net-zero building sector is critical for China's carbon neutrality, as the sector accounted for 32 percent of the country's CO2 emissions in 2022. It outlines four primary areas for decarbonization: operational emissions, embodied carbon, new growth models through technology and market mechanisms, and equity and inclusion in affordable and rural housing. The document emphasizes that the next 5–10 years are critical for accelerating the adoption of carbon-neutral technologies to decouple emissions from the continued growth of building floor space and energy demand.

• The building sector is a major contributor to China's emissions, accounting for 32 percent of the country's CO2 emissions in 2022, and requires immediate action to decouple emissions from the sector's continued expansion.
• Decarbonization opportunities are categorized into four key areas: reducing operational emissions via energy flexibility and zero-carbon heating; reducing embodied carbon through low-carbon procurement and bio-based materials; creating new growth models via technology and market mechanisms; and improving equity by targeting affordable housing, rural buildings, and old neighborhoods.
• The next 5 to 10 years are identified as a critical window for China to move toward carbon neutrality, with growth driven by both new green buildings and the low-carbon retrofitting of existing structures.

APA

RMI (2024). Unlocking New Opportunities for Carbon Neutrality in China’s Building Sector. https://rmi.org/resources/unlocking-new-opportunities-for-carbon-neutrality-in-chinas-building-sector/

Chicago

RMI. Unlocking New Opportunities for Carbon Neutrality in China’s Building Sector. 2024. https://rmi.org/resources/unlocking-new-opportunities-for-carbon-neutrality-in-chinas-building-sector/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Unlocking New Opportunities for Carbon Neutrality in China’s Building Sector |date=23 September 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/unlocking-new-opportunities-for-carbon-neutrality-in-chinas-building-sector/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024unlocking, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Unlocking New Opportunities for Carbon Neutrality in China’s Building Sector}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/unlocking-new-opportunities-for-carbon-neutrality-in-chinas-building-sector/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }