Rising Recognition of Wood Construction at 2025 China Green Building Conference

On May 16, 2025, the 21st International Conference on Green and Energy-Efficient Building & Urban Resilience Expo convened in Haikou, Hainan Province. As one of China’s most influential platforms for advancing sustainable construction, the event brought together thousands of delegates from national ministries, provincial departments of housing and urban development, research institutions, and leading enterprises. Among the diverse range of topics, wood construction once again stood out as a key focus, showing its growing relevance in China’s green transition.  

For FII, this year’s conference marked more than just a high-level gathering—it was a milestone moment in a long-term strategic journey. Since 2021, when CEO Michael Loseth delivered a keynote video message supporting the debut of a wood-focused forum at the conference, FII China has been at the forefront of advocating for wood construction in China’s green building agenda. For five consecutive years, wood construction has become a recurring and increasingly prominent topic within the event program—reflecting growing recognition of its low-carbon potential.

While FII China and Canada Wood China have gradually scaled back self-initiated promotional events in recent years, it has been encouraging to see major Chinese stakeholders increasingly take the lead in organizing wood-related forums. They continue to extend invitations to us to contribute our perspectives. This year, FII China was invited to participate in the wood construction parallel forum, reflecting a growing recognition of our long-standing engagement and collaborative approach in supporting the sector’s development.

A Forum of Rising Influence

Among the 43 parallel sessions held during the conference, the wood construction forum—co-hosted by the National Center of Technology Innovation for Green and Low-Carbon Building (NCTI-GB) and the China Real Estate Association (CREA), emerged as a standout. It brought together senior officials, academic leaders, and prominent industry voices. The forum showcased recent advances in structural technologies, material innovation, and built projects across China.

Sun Ying, Chair of China Construction Technology Consulting Co., Ltd. (CCTC) and Director-General of the NCTI-GB, Chen Yiming, President of the China Real Estate Association, and Lin Shihui, Deputy Director-General of the Hainan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, all delivered opening remarks. Academician Cui Kai, Chief Scientist of CCTC and NCTI-GB, and eight other experts from major construction firms, universities, and government agencies gave keynote presentations.

During the forum, Sun Ying publicly acknowledged FII and Canada Wood as key international collaborators, underscoring the partnership and trust built over recent cooperation in wood construction. This recognition reflects how FII China’s efforts are increasingly seen not as external advocacy, but as deeply embedded contributions to China’s green building ecosystem. Chen Yiming noted that wood and bamboo construction has now reached a new starting point. As its application in architecture expands, it is essential to fully understand the characteristics and properties of these materials, improve their utilization efficiency, and promote the sustainable development of wood and bamboo buildings.

Materials Matter: A Shift in Focus

This year’s conference underscored that shift more clearly than ever. In the conference’s opening keynote speech, Cui Kai—Chief Scientist CCTC and NCTI-GB—highlighted that the majority of carbon emissions in China’s construction sector stem from building materials, not just operations. “To achieve true zero-carbon buildings,” he emphasized, “we must prioritize materials that are inherently low-carbon and carbon-sequestering—namely, wood and bamboo.” It is also worth noting that the then Vice Minister of MOHOURD Qiu Baoxing, a long-time advocate of wood construction and a key signatory for MOHOURD on the 2010 Canada-China MOU on wood-frame cooperation, was present. His ongoing presence further underlines policy-level continuity in support of wood construction.

Innovation on Display

Beyond the formal sessions, a key highlight emerged in the exhibition area of the concurrent Low-Carbon and Resilient Urban and Rural Science Technology Expo. A striking modular wood pavilion—designed by Cui Kai and constructed using prefabricated timber systems—became a focal point for discussions. The installation featured cutting-edge applications in wood and bamboo materials, construction techniques, and adaptive design strategies. The exhibit drew steady crowds of experts, policymakers, and developers, all engaging in dialogue around sustainable material sourcing and the future of wood architecture. The atmosphere was one of growing confidence—not just in the concept of wood construction, but in its technical maturity and commercial scalability in the Chinese market.

The Signature Project in Haikou

As part of the conference activities, FII China also took part in a site visit to the Haikou Citizen and Visitor Center, guided by Cui Kai. Completed in 2018 and located in a tropical climate zone, the project features a large-span exposed wood roof supported by V-shaped steel structures—marking one of the earliest applications of such systems in China.

The design used Canadian western red cedar shingles and Douglas-fir glulam, precisely fabricated through CNC modeling. Despite enduring a severe typhoon in 2024, the building remained structurally sound, with only minor rooftop repairs required—showcasing wood’s resilience, precision, and viability even in southern climates.

List of the presentation for the wood construction forum:

“Digital Design Research and Practice in Modern Wood Structures” by Long Weiguo, Deputy Chief Engineer, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC); Former Party Secretary and Chairman, China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute

“Digital Design Research and Practice in Modern Timber Structures” by Ren Haiqing, Director, Timber Structure Research Division, Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry

“Research Progress and Engineering Demonstration of High-Performance Inorganic-Bonded Composite Bamboo Materials and Structures” by Zhang Xin, Director, Shandong Key Laboratory of Green Composite Bamboo-Wood Structures

“Modern Wood and Bamboo Construction: A Key Pathway to Green and Low-Carbon Building in China” by Zhao Chen, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University; Architectural Historian

“Looking Ahead: Trends in Timber Structure Technology Development and Application” by Zhuang Xiaojun, Director, SKF Architectural Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai

“Research and Practice of Prefabricated Bamboo-Timber–Concrete Composite Structures” by Shan Bo, Professor and Head of the Civil Engineering Department, School of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Hainan University

“From the World Capital of Chinese Fir: The Contemporary Revival and Green Revolution of Timber Architecture” by Zhao Dajian, Head of Shunchang County, Nanping City, Fujian Province