A Comparative Study of Low-Carbon Building Development Policies in Beijing and Helsinki

The issue of high carbon emissions in China’s urban construction industry urgently needs resolution. China has made significant progress in areas such as ultra-low energy buildings, energy retrofitting of existing buildings, and controlling operational energy consumption of buildings. However, challenges persist, including difficulties in energy transition, slow replacement of existing building stock, and the substantial total carbon emissions from buildings. Therefore, drawing on the successful experiences of cities in leading countries is important for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the construction industry. This paper conducts a comparative study of two representative cities: Beijing in China and Helsinki in Finland. By comparing the government-led low-carbon development of the construction industry in these two locations, this paper extracts the impact of policies on carbon emission performance from three aspects: standards and regulations, financial support, and technology utilization. Finally, based on the comparison results, the paper proposes low-carbon development recommendations for China’s urban construction industry. These recommendations suggest that the Chinese government should introduce relevant policies, further improve market mechanisms such as carbon emission trading, and support construction enterprises to actively transition to green practices. Additionally, there should be a strong organization of publicity activities to enhance public awareness of theories related to energy conservation, carbon peaking, and carbon neutrality.