The industrialisation of green building: Prospects for introducing a cluster approach in the People’s Republic of China

Abstract

Green building is a way for the resource-intensive construction industry to transition to sustainability in the context of declining non-renewable resources, climate change and a growing global population. For China, which has a large construction market, the transformation of the construction industry according to modern trends that encompass environmental impact, economic and social development is particularly relevant. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the features of green building and to demonstrate the specific features of its development in China. The research used empirical and theoretical research methods such as abstraction, induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, which made it possible to characterise green building technologies in China and the environmental impact of different types of building materials on improving human welfare and the environment condition. The description of empirical information regarding green building and its primary analysis (from theoretical understanding of the issue to the presentation of green building as a coherent object of study) in the context of global development trends is based on the material that included scientific research, scientific and bibliographic reviews of the literature, documents and reports of international organisations highlighting key elements of green building development. It has been identified that over the past decade, sustainable development and green building have been in the focus of attention of the Chinese state, helping to accelerate its development, but at the same time establishing specific barriers due to the high level of centralised decision-making. The results of the study provide a comprehensive overview of the development of the green building, its place in global development trends, and the inherent features that use the cluster approach in this innovative segment of China’s development. In practice, the study outcomes can assist other countries in making decisions on green building matters by adopting China’s innovative practices

Keywords

• green architecture
• environmental impact
• eco-friendly building materials
• ecological standards
• sustainable development