nCUBUS: Network for China-UK Building and Urban Sustainability

There is a commonality of problem due to climate change across the world related to buildings. Energy consumption in buildings accounts for 45.2% in the UK and 28% in China recently. There is a great challenge for the professionals in building sector working together towards building and urban sustainability. The problems such as carbon emission, overuse of natural resources etc, are long term and considerable, which no country can solve on its own. UK set the target of cutting 20% CO2 by 2010 and 60% by 2050. China signed the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change is forming policies to fulfill its obligations under the convention. Studies sponsored by GEF and Asia Develop Bank have highlighted the important role that China's energy sector could play in reducing future greenhouse gas emission and the need to accelerate the use of energy source other than fossil fuels. China set the target of cutting CO2 50% in building sector. There will be a considerable benefit in the exchange of knowledge and experiences between China and UK in built environment sector to tackle the sustainable issue, which is one of the most important issues in the 21st century. The aim of this project is to bring in multidisciplinary building professionals like architects, urban planners, building engineers, construction and project managers, developers, product manufacturers and policy makers from the two countries together for better communication and understanding to tackle the building and urban sustainability issue. This network will establish a wide range of collaborative activities, like joint research, joint organisations of international events, joint education and joint consulting projects in urban and building sustainability between UK and Chinese universities and research institutions. The founder partners include 10 UK leading universities and 8 Chinese national key universities and research institutions. The setting up of the nCUBUS will create new and enhance the existing links between the partners in building construction sector covering professionals from multidisciplinary in the two countries. The information and results of events of the network will be shared for the wider audiences in the public domain and industry internationally.