A senior architectural official told a development forum in the western province of Gansu on Monday that many buildings are demolished in China whilst still useable, resulting in a great waste of resources and serious environmental pollution.

Song Chunhua, board chairman of the Architectural Society of China and former Ministry of Construction vice minister, was speaking at the 8th experts' forum on scientific progress and economic and social development in western China in the provincial capital Lanzhou.

Large-scale demolition and construction of buildings is a common aspect of urbanization, but measures should be adopted to regulate the demolition of buildings, Song proposed.

Structures that need to be demolished due to structural defects or poor quality should be examined by qualified institutions first, while those being demolished for other reasons should seek approval from experts and responsible government departments, said Song.

He said the country should encourage maintenance and renovation of existing residential and public buildings by providing technological and policy support for sustainable utilization of resources.

He said the energy consumption of China's buildings has soared from 10 percent of total energy consumption at the end of the 1970s to the current 26.7 percent, close to the world average of 30 percent.

From the experiences of other countries, that 26.7 percent is expected to rise to 35 percent. When taking energy consumption during buildings' construction into account, that proportion could reach 46.7 percent.

Greenhouse gases emitted due to buildings' energy consumption takes up 25 percent of total emissions by volume, and the pollution index of soot in northern cities has exceeded the WHO maximum by two to three times in winter.

Song said greenhouse gases have increased summer temperatures, which in turn increase use of air conditioners. As a result, the power supply is put under greater strain and energy shortages are intensifying.

He also said people should reject the consumerist idea of purchasing larger apartments to show off their wealth or compete with others, and that economical and rational housing sizes should be the first preference when a purchase decision is made.

(China Youth Daily, translated by Yuan Fang for China.org.cn, August 18, 2005)