Reducing Operational Carbon Emissions from Urban Residential Buildings with Improved Green Building Efficiency Standards

Decarbonizing China’s urban operational residential buildings is essential for carbon neutrality and sustainable building energy systems. However, regional variations in the effectiveness and costs of low-carbon measures for urban residential buildings remain unclear, limiting policy pathway design. We employ a bottom-up framework to evaluate emission reduction potentials and costs across scenarios, aiming to identify region-specific and time-specific strategies for urban residential building operations. An integrated pathway of improving green building energy efficiency standards could reduce 2060 emissions from urban residential operations to 535 MtCO2, 63.7% below the business-as-usual (BAU) level in 2060. In non-heating areas, cooling standard upgrade offers the largest reduction potential (18.1% of total reduction). In heating areas, heat structure optimization contributes the largest reduction, 207 MtCO2. From a cost-optimal perspective, cooking electrification offers the lowest marginal cost, declining to 9 CNY/tCO2 by 2060. Improving envelope retrofit standards requires high upfront investment but yields long-term returns, with costs potentially falling by 63% under policy support. By integrating regional mitigation potential with cost-effectiveness analysis, this study provides a roadmap for decarbonizing China’s urban residential building operations that supports climate goals and promotes sustainable living.