Improving environment and quality of life for inhabitants and workers in China

The building and construction market with its emerging interior renovation and decoration activities is booming in China.  But there are severe health and environmental consequences connected to this development. Renovation and decoration company employees are being exposed to dust and solvents and inhabitants of apartments and offices are exposed to high levels of indoor air pollution. The substantial material consumption, waste generation and inadequate waste disposal as well as hazardous emissions are creating immense environmental impacts in China. With regard to sustainable buildings, the current focus in China lies mainly on the construction of new buildings and the ‘second’ building phase - Building Interior Renovation and Decoration (BIRD) - is often not considered.

 

Stimulate sustainable BIRD production patterns

To reduce the impacts on people and the environment that result from BIRD activities, the “Sustainable Building Interior Renovation and Decoration Initiative (BIRD)” project will establish and maintain a science based product information system for decoration products. To achieve a meaningful exchange of knowledge the project will establish the Sustainable BIRD Initiative that will be supported over time by Chinese Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In addition to other tasks, the initiative will develop and disseminate handbooks and information packages and support the adoption and strengthening of labelling/certification programs in China.

 

To disseminate alternative decoration patterns the CSCP developed an interactive training course and supporting information materials for product designers, production supervisors and SME leaders. The CSCP developed and held a train-the-trainers workshop and will provide ongoing support. 

 

Encouraging consumers and policy makers

Through marketing campaigns the BIRD project will address consumers, business and policy makers. To encourage these target groups to choose safe, healthy and environmentally friendly decoration products and appliances the marketing campaigns will demonstrate examples of good practice. Furthermore a planned award programme for top performing sustainable products will be developed to popularise the issues over time. For policy makers the BIRD project produced several research case studies and a policy recommendation report as support for political decision making processes.

 

Background

The SUS BIRD project is financed by the European Commission in the context of the SWITCH-Asia Programme. For the development of this project the CSCP collaborated with five partners with the China Standard Certification Centre (CSC) serving as project leader. Other cooperation partners are the Science and Technology Promotion Centre on MoHURD (CSTC), the China Quality Mark Certification Group (CQM) and the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP-DTIE).