Addressing the development gap in net-zero energy buildings: A comparative study of China, India, and the United States

Abstract

In recent years, the urgency to address climate challenges has driven the need to achieve net-zero carbon goals by 2050. The construction industry, as a major contributor to carbon emissions, plays a vital role in achieving this target. While numerous net-zero energy building approaches have been proposed globally, there is limited comparative research between developed and developing countries. This study aims to address this research gap by selecting the top three carbon-emitting countries in the world - China, India, and the United States (US) - as the research subjects. Through a comparison of their net-zero energy building approaches and typical cases, it is evident that there exists a significant disparity between developed and developing nations. Specifically, differences are observed in the following aspects: net-zero building approaches in the United States have an earlier start and involve collaborations between the government and multiple organizations, while China and India started relatively later and rely primarily on government initiatives. China's consideration of applicable building types in net-zero approaches is not inclusive enough, particularly lacking coverage on industrial buildings. It is encouraging to observe that China and India pay more attention to embodied carbon emissions compared, while their decarbonization strategies for embodied carbon emissions are not as comprehensive as those in the United States when it comes to actual building applications. Regarding carbon offset options, the United States and India demonstrate more comprehensive considerations, while China currently lacks consideration for off-site power generation and negative carbon technologies. The United States boasts a larger number of net-zero buildings, most of which have been certified through the country's own net-zero building approaches. In contrast, China and India have fewer certified net-zero buildings, and only a small percentage have been certified using their own methods, especially in China. The technologies employed in zero‑carbon buildings in the United States are more advanced compared to China and India. These findings underline how the disparities in economic levels between developed and developing countries are reflected in net-zero building approaches. Based on these insights, professionals in the field can develop tailored strategies to bridge the gap in net-zero building development between developed and developing nations. This study provides a foundation and recommendations for achieving carbon neutrality in the construction industry for the world's top three economies by 2030.