Buildings and the Environment

Buildings create very severe problems for the environment. In China, seven hundred thousands of hectares are developed each year, including 3 million mu farmland and other sensitive lands. Over 80% of China’s water treated for human use is consumed in buildings. Buildings account for roughly 40-45% of China’s primary energy use including the industrial energy to manufacture building materials, which ranges between 10-15%. Finally, as China’s population urbanizes, people spend more time indoors, they are exposed to cooking and cigarette smoke, chemicals and biological contaminants that cause health problems, lost productivity and lower quality of life.