Recently, the Ministry of Finance issued the "Notice on Government Procurement to Support Green Building Materials to Promote the Pilot Work of Building Quality Improvement" ("Notice"). The "Notice" proposes that in order to implement green building materials procurement requirements, green building materials suppliers should provide test reports, certification certificates and other supporting documents issued by third-party testing or certification agencies that contain relevant indicators when supplying them. For building materials products that have not been included in the Basic Requirements, purchasers are encouraged to purchase green building materials that have obtained green building materials evaluation marks, certifications, or environmental label product certifications. Details are as follows:

The finance departments (bureaus), housing and urban-rural construction departments of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and cities under separate state planning, and the Finance Bureau and Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:

In order to give full play to the function of government procurement policies, accelerate the promotion of green buildings and green building materials applications, and promote the improvement of building quality and the development of new building industrialization, in accordance with the "People's Republic of China Government Procurement Law" and "The Implementation Regulations of the People's Procurement support green building materials to promote the pilot work of building quality improvement notice is as follows:

1. General requirements

(1) Guiding ideology.

Guided by Xi Jinping’s thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era, firmly establish a new development concept, give play to the exemplary and leading role of government procurement, actively promote the application of green buildings and green building materials in government procurement projects, promote the supply-side structural reform of the construction industry, and promote Green production and green consumption promote green economic and social development.

(2) Basic principles.

Insist on trying first. Select a group of cities with a good foundation for green development, explore effective models to support the promotion and application of green buildings and green building materials in government procurement projects, and form experiences that can be replicated and promoted.

Strengthen the main responsibility. Consolidate the main responsibility of the purchaser to implement the policy, and effectively increase the proportion of green buildings and green building materials in government procurement projects by strengthening procurement demand management and other measures.

Strengthen overall coordination. Strengthen the communication and coordination between departments, clarify the responsibilities of relevant departments, strengthen the supervision and management of government project procurement, implementation and performance acceptance, and guide purchasers, project contractors, building materials companies, relevant industry associations and third-party organizations to actively participate in the pilot work, Form a joint force to advance the pilot.

(3) Work objectives.

Promote green building materials products such as recyclable and reusable building materials, high-strength and high-durability building materials, green parts and components, green decoration materials, water-saving and energy-saving building materials in government procurement projects, and actively apply prefabricated, intelligent and other new industrialized construction methods for buildings. Encourage the construction of two-star and above green buildings. By 2022, government procurement requirements for green buildings and green building materials will be basically formed, policy measures and working mechanisms will be gradually improved, the quality of government procurement projects will be improved, and the concept of green consumption and green development will be further enhanced.

2. Target and time of the pilot

(1) Pilot cities. The pilot cities are Nanjing, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Huzhou, Qingdao, and Foshan. Encourage other regions to actively promote the application of green buildings and green building materials in accordance with the requirements of this notice.

(2) Pilot projects. New government procurement projects such as hospitals, schools, office buildings, complexes, exhibition halls, convention and exhibition centers, stadiums, and affordable housing. Encourage pilot areas to include other new construction projects implemented with financial funds into the scope of the pilot.

(3) The duration of the pilot program. The pilot period is 2 years, and related engineering projects should be completed before the end of December 2022 in principle. For larger-scale engineering projects, the pilot period can be extended appropriately.

3. Pilot content

(1) Formulate government procurement requirements for green buildings and green building materials. The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, together with relevant departments, formulate and release green building materials product standards based on the application of building materials products in government procurement projects, market supply conditions, and the development direction of related industry upgrades, combined with relevant national standards and industry standards. Basic requirements for government procurement of construction and green building materials (for trial implementation, hereinafter referred to as "Basic Requirements"). The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will dynamically update the "Basic Requirements" based on the progress of the pilot, and will update the Basic Requirements on the website of the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China (www.mof.gov.cn) and the website of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (www.mohurd. gov.cn) and the Chinese Government Procurement Network (www.ccgp.gov.cn). Pilot areas can fine-tune the relevant design requirements, building materials types and specific indicators in the Basic Requirements according to local actual conditions. The pilot areas should pass the pilot, and on the basis of the "Basic Requirements", refine and improve the design specifications, construction specifications and product standards related to green building government procurement to form an objective, quantifiable, verifiable, and adaptable to the actual conditions of the region and different building types. The government procurement requirements for green buildings and green building materials shall be reported to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

(2) Strengthen engineering design management. The purchaser shall require the design unit to compile design documents in accordance with the "Basic Requirements", strictly review or entrust a third-party agency to review the implementation of the "Basic Requirements" in the design documents. The housing and urban-rural construction departments in the pilot areas shall strengthen the supervision during and after the fact of the implementation of the "Basic Requirements" in government procurement projects. At the same time, it is necessary to actively promote the project cost reform, improve the project budgetary preparation method, give full play to the role of market pricing, and incorporate the incremental cost of government procurement of green buildings and green building materials into the project cost.

(3) Implement green building materials procurement requirements. The purchaser shall make the relevant provisions of the Basic Requirements as a substantive condition when preparing the procurement documents and drafting the contract text, and directly purchase or require the contractor to use the green building materials products that meet the regulations. When supplying green building materials, suppliers of green building materials shall provide test reports, certification certificates and other supporting documents issued by third-party testing or certification agencies containing relevant indicators. For building materials products that have not yet been included in the Basic Requirements, purchasers are encouraged to purchase green building materials products that have obtained green building materials evaluation marks, certifications, or environmental label product certifications.

(4) Explore the development of batch centralized procurement of green building materials. The financial departments of the pilot areas can choose some general-purpose green building materials to explore and implement batch centralized procurement. The government centralized procurement agency or departmental centralized procurement agency regularly collects the purchaser's green building materials procurement plan to carry out centralized procurement. Encourage the procurement of green building materials through electronic government procurement platforms, and strengthen the supervision of the entire procurement process.

(5) Strictly manage project construction and acceptance. Pilot areas should actively explore innovative construction site supervision models, urge construction units to use green building materials products that meet the requirements, and strictly follow the requirements of the "Basic Requirements" and construction related standards. After the completion of the project, the purchaser shall carry out the performance inspection in accordance with the contract.

(6) Strengthen the supervision and inspection of the implementation of the green procurement policy. The financial departments of the pilot areas should closely follow the pilot situation through big data, blockchain and other technical means with the housing and urban-rural construction departments, and strengthen the supervision and inspection of the implementation of relevant policies. The violations of laws and regulations by purchasers, procurement agencies and suppliers in procurement activities shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant provisions of the government procurement legal system.

Fourth, safeguard measures

(1) Strengthen organization and leadership. Pilot areas should attach great importance to government procurement to support the pilot work of promoting green buildings and green building materials, boldly innovate, and study and establish institutional mechanisms that are conducive to the promotion of the pilot. The financial departments, housing and urban-rural development departments of the pilot areas should jointly take the lead in doing the pilot work, formulate and issue the pilot implementation plan for the region in time, and report to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for the record. After the pilot implementation plan is issued, relevant departments shall strengthen coordination and cooperation in accordance with the division of responsibilities to ensure the smooth progress of the pilot work.

(2) Do a good job of pilot tracking and evaluation. The financial departments, housing and urban-rural construction departments in the pilot areas should strengthen the dynamic tracking and work supervision of the pilot work, coordinate and solve the difficult points in the pilot in a timely manner, and deal with the specific content and operation implementation of the Basic Requirements encountered during the pilot process. Issues and related opinions and suggestions should be reported to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in a timely manner. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will regularly organize the evaluation of the pilot situation. After the pilot is over, the experience and effectiveness of the pilot will be systematically summarized to form a national implementation plan for government procurement to support the promotion of green buildings and green building materials.

(3) Strengthen publicity and guidance. Strengthen government procurement to support green building and green building materials promotion policy interpretation and public opinion guidance, unify the ideological understanding of all parties, timely respond to social concerns, and stabilize market expectations. Promote good experiences and good practices in various regions through the news media, and give full play to the pilot demonstration effect.

Attachment: Basic requirements for government procurement of green buildings and green building materials (for trial implementation)

Ministry of Finance Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development

October 13, 2020

Source: Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China