China: Energy efficiency with German know-how

One way of achieving global climate change mitigation objectives is to increase energy efficiency. Under the heading Strategic new industries, this topic is also one of the central project areas in China's current and 12th Five-Year Plan. The country's building sector plays a decisive role in these efforts as it accounts for around 30 per cent of Chinese energy consumption. To date, energy in China has mainly been generated from fossil fuels.

Working on behalf of the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is supporting the Chinese Government in implementing its national projects. Now, as part of the project entitled Qualification of Key Actors on Energy Efficiency in the Building Sector, a high-ranking Chinese delegation met representatives of various ministries in Berlin and Munich and gained an overview of German strategies and methods for increasing energy efficiency.

Part of the visitor programme also involved 'smart city' strategies, which are holistic development strategies for making cities more efficient, more technologically advanced and more socially attractive. The Chinese language also recognises the term 'smart city' and uses the equivalent expression primarily to describe the possibilities offered by the internet for increasing the quality of life in cities. For example, networked mobility systems can leverage the benefits of internet-based control systems or e-car fleets to reduce emissions, and they were therefore a topic during the delegation visit to Berlin. There was also a discussion about 'micro smart grids', which are independent electricity grids that link up different energy sources to storage facilities and consumers. The Chinese delegation not only gained insights into German strategies for increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases but also learned how these strategies are being implemented.

The delegation visit is one component of the project strategy. By providing additional training measures and practical advice from German experts, the project aims to improve the conditions for energy efficiency in China's building sector.