The Effect of Policies on China’s Low-Carbon Building Projects

This study aims to investigate the pathways and mechanisms through which policies influence the effectiveness of low-carbon building projects. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research encompasses a literature review, semi-structured interviews with 5 industry executives, and questionnaire data collected from 100 professionals. Empirical analysis was conducted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the relative importance index (RII). The study identifies 6 key pathways, namely: policy planning and basic management, resource incentives and project support, guarantee-type resources, trade and factor regulation, top-level design and technology development, and government procurement special. The core research findings indicate that “top-level design and technology development” ranks the highest with an overall RII of 90.8%. This is because top-level design can clarify the strategic direction of low-carbon building development and provide systematic institutional guarantees for industry development; while technology development directly addresses the current technical bottlenecks faced by the industry and offers core support for energy conservation. Formulating policies targeting these central pathways can effectively promote the development of low-carbon building projects. This paper provides empirical evidence and decision-making support for the low-carbon transition of China’s construction industry.