As important "components" of buildings, building materials determine the degree of energy efficiency of a building. Vigorously developing green building materials is an important support for the green development of urban and rural construction and the building of a beautiful countryside, and is also a powerful lever for achieving the "dual carbon" goals.

Recently, ten departments jointly issued the Implementation Plan for the High-Quality Development of the Green Building Materials Industry, proposing to accelerate the expansion of applications and enhance industrial growth. The plan calls for strengthening requirements on the selection of green building materials in green buildings, encouraging regions with the necessary conditions to carry out demonstration projects for green building material applications in building types such as zero-carbon buildings and near-zero-energy buildings, and encouraging public procurement and market-invested projects to expand the scope and intensity of green building material procurement. It also promotes the application of green building materials in infrastructure construction and increases the proportion of green building materials such as low-carbon cement and high-performance concrete used in engineering projects.

Increase government procurement support

At the construction site of the resettlement housing project in Dongjin New Town, Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, high-rise buildings stand in rows. The silica composite polystyrene insulation board used in the project is an emerging green building material. This insulation board eliminates the need for secondary insulation materials and construction; it not only provides good insulation but also achieves Class A non-combustibility. This project is not only a demonstration project for prefabricated buildings and green buildings, but also a pilot project for government procurement supporting green building materials to promote building quality improvement.

Promoting green building materials requires government support as an important guide.

To effectively promote green, low-carbon and sustainable development and accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry, Xi'an City in Shaanxi Province recently issued a pilot work plan for advancing government procurement support for green building materials to promote building quality improvement. The plan requires vigorously guiding the widespread application in engineering construction of policies under which government procurement supports green building materials to promote building quality improvement, actively exploring institutional innovation and policy incentives, and gradually forming economies of scale through the implementation of a batch of pilot projects. It also calls for promptly summarizing replicable and promotable experience, creating a favorable atmosphere for the coordinated development of green buildings and green building materials, and comprehensively advancing the green, low-carbon and high-quality development of the construction industry.

In its carbon peak action plan for the building materials industry, Zhejiang emphasizes accelerating the promotion of green building materials, giving play to the demonstration and guiding role of government procurement, and guiding and advancing pilot work in pilot cities such as Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, Huzhou and Taizhou where government procurement supports green building materials to promote building quality improvement.

Increase the proportion of green building materials used

The promotion and application of green building materials cannot be separated from sound top-level design. To increase the share of green building materials in green buildings and infrastructure construction, efforts must be made in policy formulation and implementation.

Promote the application of green building materials and gradually increase the proportion of green building materials used in green buildings... A review of the Guangzhou Municipal Regulations on Green Buildings and Building Energy Efficiency, which will take effect on March 1, shows that Guangzhou requires government-invested buildings to use green building materials in developing green buildings, so as to promote green and low-carbon development across the entire building industry chain. Departments such as housing and urban-rural development and market supervision and administration shall, in accordance with their respective duties, strengthen supervision and management over the production, certification, and acceptance and application of green building material products.

To improve building quality, Jinan City in Shandong Province recently issued implementation opinions on further advancing the development of the prefabricated building industry, proposing to advance the certification, promotion and application of green building materials, actively connect with the Shandong Provincial Green Building Materials Acceptance and Application Data Information Database, take the lead in adopting products from the database in government-invested projects, key projects, municipal public utilities, and green building and prefabricated building projects, and gradually increase the proportion of green building materials applied.

Beijing also stipulates in its regulations on green building development that the certification and acceptance of results for green building materials shall be advanced, product information and application status shall be released regularly, and the proportion of green building materials applied shall be gradually increased. Construction projects invested with government funds shall give priority to procuring and using green building materials, and other construction projects are encouraged to give priority to green building materials. Municipal infrastructure such as roads, bridges, rail transit and integrated utility tunnels are encouraged to adopt green building materials and prefabricated construction methods. The application of renewable energy and green building materials in rural areas shall be promoted.

In addition, strengthening supervision and management is also an important guarantee for ensuring the use of green building materials. In its work plan, Xi'an proposes carrying out in-process and post-event follow-up assessments of the application of green building materials in pilot projects, promptly resolving shortcomings and problems in project construction, and ensuring that the types, quantities, application proportions, project quality and actual results of green building materials used meet the pilot target requirements.