[Policy Interpretation] Text interpretation of Guangzhou Green Building and Building Energy Efficiency Management Regulations

Source: Guangzhou Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau

1. Setting the background

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee and The State Council have attached great importance to the construction of ecological civilization and environmental protection, requiring the implementation of carbon peak and carbon neutral actions in the construction sector to promote the green development of urban and rural construction. The construction field is the focus of the "double carbon" work, and legislation should be improved to promote the control of the total amount and intensity of energy consumption, optimize the energy structure, improve building energy efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions. In 2018, the Energy Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China was amended and passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and in 2021, the Regulations of Guangdong Province on Green Buildings were officially implemented, and Guangzhou was listed as a pilot city for business environment innovation. The new situation puts forward new requirements for green buildings and building energy efficiency management. The original regulations of the Municipal government, "Regulations on the Management of Green Buildings and Building Energy Efficiency in Guangzhou", have been implemented for more than 10 years since 2013. In order to meet the needs of development, it is necessary to sum up experience and adjust the relevant legislative content according to the upper Law and current policies. On December 21, 2023, the new government regulation of the same name, "Regulations on the Management of Green Buildings and Building Energy Efficiency in Guangzhou" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), was reviewed and adopted at the executive meeting of the Municipal Government.

2. Formulation basis

The Provisions implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, and take the Energy Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China, the Regulations on Energy Conservation of Civil Buildings, and the Regulations on Green Buildings of Guangdong Province as the basis for formulation.

3. Set principles and goals

Iv. Main contents

"Provisions" on the basis of the original old and new, a total of 22, without chapters. 

(1) Focus on the "double carbon" goal and improve the level of urban green development. The first is to refine the provisions of the "Green Building Regulations of Guangdong Province" and improve the green development requirements of new buildings. It stipulates that large public buildings shall be constructed in accordance with the green building standard of more than two stars, office buildings of state organs and other public buildings invested by state-owned funds shall be constructed in accordance with the green building standard of more than one star, and public buildings with government investment and government investment shall be constructed in accordance with the energy-saving standard of no less than ultra-low energy consumption buildings. Second, in light of reality, we will promote the construction of a livable environment in which man and nature coexist in harmony. All districts are required to prepare special plans for green building development, create and develop green ecological urban areas, and comprehensively improve regional building energy conservation and green building development level. It is stipulated that when urban renewal and old urban residential areas use financial funds for transformation, green transformation (including energy-saving transformation) should be implemented simultaneously.

(2) Improve the management mechanism and strengthen the guarantee of building green performance. First, it is proposed to carry out building pre-evaluation with commitment system. It is clear that construction units can apply to the competent authorities for pre-evaluation of green buildings and prefabricated buildings at the stage of construction drawing design, and make corresponding identification or evaluation according to their commitments after completion, and ensure that construction projects are constructed in accordance with the building evaluation standards in the form of active actions by the competent authorities and commitments made by the construction units. At the same time to solve the problem of credit input and green building identification time mismatch. The second is to improve the relevant system of building put into use, stipulating that before the project is put into use, green building and building technical data should be handed over to the building owner, the user of the use right or the property service person, requiring the establishment and improvement of building energy consumption monitoring, energy consumption statistics and other systems.

(3) Promote appropriate technologies and promote the green upgrading of the construction industry. The first is to encourage the promotion and application of air conditioning energy-saving technology to adapt to the characteristics of Guangzhou's hot summer and warm winter climate, effectively control and reduce building energy consumption, and fully reflect local characteristics. The second is to promote the application of green building materials, stipulating that government-invested buildings should use green building materials to promote the green and low-carbon development of the whole construction industry chain. The third is to strengthen the guidance of planning, requiring the construction land planning conditions, the state-owned construction land use right transfer contract or state-owned land allocation decision, and the construction project planning license to specify the prefabricated building requirements, in order to better promote the development of new building industrialization.

4. Improve incentive policies and increase the participation of social entities. The first is to implement the relevant provisions of the "Guangdong Green Building Regulations", and clarify the financial support policy for green building development and building energy efficiency demonstration projects formulated by the management department; Starting from the whole process of building construction, the implementation of floor area ratio accounting incentives, housing provident fund loan quota, green financial services and other incentive policies to stimulate the enthusiasm of market players. The second is to stipulate that the competent authorities should do a good job in promoting the legal policies and scientific knowledge related to green buildings and building energy efficiency, so as to enhance the public's cognition and recognition of green buildings. The third is to encourage relevant industry associations to strengthen publicity guidance and information sharing through technology promotion, information exchange, consulting services, credit construction, excellent building selection activities and other forms to achieve positive interaction between government governance and industry self-discipline.