Over the past decade, China’s green building and sustainable conservation initiatives have been combating the environmental fallout resulting from their long-running, development boom and now it looks likely these initiatives will pay off for Australian efficiency and sustainability companies, while also offering new possibilities for builders and engineers.

Rewind! What’s going on in China?

In 2006, the Beijing local and national government body, China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development (MOHURD), enacted the Green Building Evaluation Criteria to spur-on the building of more sustainable, eco-friendly structures with an obligation to care and preserve the environment.

Green, sustainable building is big business in China; 100 million square metres of green buildings were erected last year alone.

So why is This Good for Australia?

With the government signing off on the Chinese Free Trade Agreement, Australia is in a prime position to take advantage of these colossal export opportunities.

What Roles & Technologies offer Opportunity?

Shanghai-based Trade Commissioner at the Australian Trade Commission, Liu Bing believes “specific opportunities exist for companies offering a range of services and technologies.”

• Operating and supervising energy conservation in public buildings and energy saving service markets
• Designing and manufacturing intelligent systems which recycle large amounts of building materials
• Managing water & waste-water
• Designing, smart and advanced eco-technologies for green building, like geothermal heat pumps
• More roles available in, and knowledge of architecture and design theory and green building practices/sectors
• Building sophisticated cooling equipment, like maglev chillers
• Next-gen, renewable energy sources

Local Chinese Government Initiatives Promoting Green Building China-wide

• The Shanghai Green Building Council (SGBC) drummed-up the: Green Building Three Year Action Plan (2014 – 2016).
• Jiangsu, north of Shanghai not long ago issued the 1st Chinese provincial regulations for encouraging green building development:  The Jiangsu Province Green Building Development Regulations 

Challenges facing entrants into the Chinese Green Building Market

1. Stiff competition against local market forces who enjoy home-ground advantage and the skyrocketing innovative pace China is renowned for which keeps it ahead of the pack when it comes to new technologies.

2. The difference in green building criteria between China and other countries.

3. Australian entrants would need to adapt to a disparate set of domestic circumstances as well as very different local conditions.

4. Language barriers are also something to keep in mind.