A Pathway to Climate Neutral Buildings：Definitions, Policy and Stakeholder Understanding in Sweden and China

Paper in proceeding, 2022

In recent years, 'climate neutral buildings' has become one of the most popular emerging terms in the context of global warming and the built environment. However, due to a vague definition, the term still lacks real-world uptake in practice. While initial research focuses on 'climate neutral buildings', few have discussed this term from the perspective of different countries or stakeholders. To address this gap, this paper explores the current understanding and future development of the term 'climate neutral buildings' in Sweden and China. Through a literature review of related definitions, an investigation of current regulations, and stakeholder interviews in both countries, we find that Sweden and China are in different stages of development towards climate neutral buildings. Sweden seems to surpass China in terms of theoretical research, regulation development and stakeholder understanding. Despite this, the two countries share similar issues regarding the future development of climate neutral buildings. Both countries lack an official interpretation of 'climate neutral buildings', sufficient regulations, and collaborations among different stakeholders. This paper suggests a foundation for the future development of climate neutral buildings.