Comparison of Building Environment Assessment Systems Across the Belt and Road Countries: How Do Green Buildings Contribute to Achieving Ecological Civilization and Sustainable Development Goals?

Abstract

Humans have long been inhabiting in two different worlds, the natural environment and the world of artifact. Since the early 1950s, there has been a steady increase in urban population. As of 2016, 54% of the world population lives at urban areas, whereas in China, the percentage of urbanization has exceeded 57%. Since urban people spend a significant amount of time indoors (i.e., in buildings), together with the possible environmental impacts of a building during its construction, operation and maintenance as well as destruction, building design significantly influences its environmental impacts and human wellbeing, consequently, various Building Environment Assessment Systems (BEASs) have been developed to give guidance and standard for making green buildings. Among the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), at least five BEASs have been commonly utilized: BREEAM (UK), LEED (USA), DGNB (Germany), BEAM Plus (Hong Kong SAR, China), and GB/T 50378 (Mainland China). Due to more frequent cultural and institutional interactions across the BRI participated countries, it can be foreseen that professional collaboration on infrastructure and new building construction will be further strengthened. This paper attempts to compare these BEASs based on their assessment categories, criteria and weightings in new public building design. Furthermore, this paper will evaluate the contributions of green building on the China’s establishment of ecological civilization as well as United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. The role of Hong Kong SAR (China) as a “super-connector” and its significance in assisting China enterprises to go global in the platform of Belt and Road Initiative will also be discussed.