"We have done a great deal of work on energy conservation and emissions reduction in our country. Why is smog still frequent and the governance effect not showing?" Guo Yunchong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and former vice minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, asked this at the group discussion meeting of the economic sector of the CPPCC held here.

 

　　"I think energy conservation, emissions reduction and environmental governance still have not grasped the 'root'," he said, answering his own question.

 

　　"In recent years, the individual energy-saving and consumption-reduction indicators of many of our industries have been very good," he pointed out.

 

　　"Yes, the individual energy-saving and consumption-reduction standards of industries such as electric power, sulfur and phosphorus are all very high, roughly on par with first-class international levels," added Zhu Zhixin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, sitting across the conference table.

 

　　"But why are the energy consumption indicators of the entire industry still so high?" Guo Yunchong asked again.

 

　　He gave everyone a set of figures: in 2012, China consumed 2.2 billion tons of cement, accounting for 58 percent of the world's total consumption, and its steel consumption accounted for 48 percent of the world's total. Of the steel consumption, 50 percent was construction steel.

 

　　"In 2012, China's GDP accounted for only about 11 percent of the world's total, but why is the consumption of cement and steel so high? How are these energy-intensive, highly polluting materials all consumed? Basically they all go into urban construction," he said, again answering his own question.

 

　　"Mayors, apart from caring about personnel and fiscal and tax issues, care about urban construction, and urban construction means demolishing to build and building to demolish," Guo Yunchong said. "Demolish and build hotels and restaurants, and the upstream and downstream industries are quickly driven; GDP, employment and tax revenue immediately rise. Without demolition, there is nothing!"

 

　　He then did some calculations for everyone:

 

　　If a building is not demolished in 100 years, it will generate 1 unit of GDP, consume 1 unit of energy and raw materials, and produce 1 unit of air pollution in 100 years;

 

　　If a building is demolished 4 times in 100 years, with the building unit standard unchanged, it will generate 4 units of GDP, consume 4 units of energy and raw materials, and produce 4 units of air pollution...

 

　　He pointed out that according to the target standards, the lifespan of ordinary civil buildings in China is 50 years, and that of key buildings is 100 years. However, many houses are forcibly demolished well before the end of their lifespan...

 

　　"Demolishing to build and building to demolish is not only a waste but also pollution! The demolished cement has nowhere to be piled, and it becomes garbage," Guo Yunchong said bitterly.

 

　　"We should further raise the quality and safety standards for housing, change the concept of 'demolition-and-construction GDP', reduce the consumption of energy and raw materials that are energy-intensive and highly polluting, and adjust the industrial structure as soon as possible..." Guo Yunchong stressed. "Our country's energy conservation, emissions reduction and environmental governance must change their approach. Facts have proved that the original approach will not work."