DEKRA Industrial GmbH is a Security Service Provider with expertise in construction and real estate, machinery and equipment, environment-, social and health protection, energy and process-industry, product control and system certification. DEKRA Industrial cooperates with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), which is establishing its internationally acknowledged standard system for sustainable construction worldwide.
China currently experiences a construction boom with double-digit growth rates. Two billion square meters of new buildings are completed each year. Another 400 million people will have moved into the cities by 2030. Until now energy efficiency has not played a major role in the construction sector, with energy consumption in China being way above European standards. Each square meter of residential or commercial surface uses four times more energy than in Europe. Thirty percent of the total energy consumption in China is used in the building sector alone. This constitutes an enormous waste of energy resources and results in unnecessary environmental pollution.
A joint project by DEKRA Industrial and DGNB aims at improving construction sites in China in the long run by initiating a process of local capacity building. The improvement in ecological, economic and social sustainability of the construction sector is the core component of the project. As a framework to create the necessary awareness, the DGNB standard system will be adjusted to the climatic, cultural and economic requirements of China. Auditors will be trained; experts from the construction industry such as architects, civil engineers and awarding authorities will be qualified, and in cooperation with Tongji University in Shanghai the topic of sustainable construction will be implemented in the committees of experts.
WiN=WiN effects
The PPP-project reduces quality problems in the Chinese construction sector. Tenants and house owners profit from lower maintenance costs and a better living standard. The environment benefits through reduced CO2-emissions. Awareness measures teach Chinese building and public sector actors about internationally established standards. For the first time comprehensive, quantifiable norms are created within the Chinese construction industry that will serve as a guideline to policy makers, construction supervisors and executing bodies.
The PPP-project supports the market entry of DEKRA Industrial in the Chinese construction sector, with great potential for certification of buildings and consulting in sustainable construction. This enables DEKRA Industrial to position itself uniquely in a free market with high competition. The DGNB uses this PPP-project as a part of their international strategy to adapt, initiate and implement their standard systems in China. All DGNB members will profit from this project.