SuDBE2021 and the 11th Session of the Green Building Union Commenced in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Area were held successfully in Chongqing the other day. Professor Zhou Xuhong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former president of Chongqing University, chaired the Academic Committee of the Conference, and Professor Li Baizhan of Chongqing University chaired the Conference. The topic of this Conference was “green building contributing to peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality”. The event was held to advocate interdisciplinary development and collaboration, and discuss the new direction and mission of green and low-carbon development of buildings under the “peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality” goal.

Zhang Ling, vice chairman of Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese of Chongqing Municipality, Liu Hanlong, managing vice president of Chongqing University, Wang Youwei, director of China Green Building Council, China GBC and Han Aixing, former deputy head of the Standard Rating Department of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China showed up at the opening ceremony and addressed the attendants. Professor Alan Short and Professor Stuart Green, overseas co-chairmen of the Conference, attended the event electronically and delivered a speech. Professor Yao Runming of Chongqing University, director of the organizer Joint International Research Lab of Green Buildings and Built Environments, MoE, PR. China, presided at the opening ceremony.

Professor Liu Hanlong extended his warm welcome to officials, experts and researchers present at the event, and expressed his hope that this event would contribute to the exchange of research findings in sustainable development of building and environment, foster further deepening of international cooperation in research, practice, education and transformation of scientific research findings, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. In his speech, Liu also wished this event a great success.

Zhou Xuhong delivered a keynote speech titled “construction technology of ultra-low energy consumption cold-formed steel structure house”; professor Hou Li’an from Lanzhou University, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered a keynote speech titled “disinfection and sterilization of pathogenic microorganisms in the air of healthy buildings and risk prevention and control”; Professor Yao Runming delivered a keynote speech titled “heating and air conditioning solutions and systems for buildings in the Yangtze River Basin”; Li Yanqiang, chief engineer of North China Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. also delivered a keynote speech. Peter Head, FREng, and Professor Soteris Kalogirou from Cyprus Technical University, editor in chief of Renewable Energy, also delivered a keynote speech via video link, and discussed with the attendants over topics related to sustainable urban development.

On the afternoon of that day, the 11th Session of the Green Building Union Commenced in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Area was held. At the event, Han Aixing delivered a keynote speech titled “new challenges to the improvement of living environment in hot-summer and cold-winter regions”.

The next day, 7 sessions respectively on urban/building climate optimum solutions, green structure engineering, low-carbon green geotechnical engineering, indoor environment and health and comfort, building energy conservation and performance improvement, smart low-carbon development of urban gas, and smart technology and green operation management were held via Tencent Meeting. More than 80 experts and researchers from all over the world shared their scientific research findings and had heated discussion over these topics.

The event was sponsored by Chongqing University and China Green Building Council, China GBC, co-sponsored by the University of Cambridge and the University of Reading, and jointly organized by the School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, the National Centre for International Research of Low-carbon and Green Buildings, the Joint International Research Lab of Green Buildings and Built Environments, MoE, PR. China, Chongqing Green Building Council of Chongqing Green Building and Architectural Industrialization Association and Southwest China Green Building Base. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the event was held both on line and off line. More than 150 experts, researchers and student representatives from colleges, universities, scientific research institutions, design consultancies and equipment manufacturers including Chongqing University, the University of Reading and Tsinghua University made oral academic presentations at the event. More than 10,000 attendants participated in the event on line, and the online views of conference pictures topped 5,000. Attendants had heated exchange and discussion over related topics at this academic grand event that focused on building, environment and “peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality”.