China has begun a massive reconstruction of old buildings to make them more energy efficient, the Deputy Minister of Construction, Qiu Baoxing, said on Wednesday.

Work on buildings of the 10 central government ministries including the Ministry of Construction has begun and will be finished in one and half a years, he said while meeting a delegation from the American Standard Group, the world's leading producer of kitchen and bathroom fixtures and fittings.

If reconstruction on the first 10 buildings proves successful, all departments of the central government and provincial governments will follow suit, he said.

Qiu pointed out that the refurbishment of old buildings is part of the government's bid to build a resource-saving and environmentally-friendly society.

China is the world's biggest construction market. Half of the buildings built every year are located in China.

According to experts, by 2020, China will see the construction of new buildings totaling 30 billion square meters in floor space. It would be an impossible mission to light, heat and cool these buildings if the current energy consumption model continues.

The Chinese government has approved plans to reduce energy consumption of new urban buildings by 50 percent by the end of 2010. For big cities such as Beijing, it will be cut by 65 percent.

By 2010, big cities shall have 25 percent of their old private and public buildings refurbished for energy saving. Middle-sized cities will have 15 percent and small cities 10 percent, respectively.

By 2020, all the old buildings in Chinese cities will be refurbished for energy saving.

Source: Xinhua