Green building policies in China: A policy review and analysis

[Display omitted] •1429 green building policies are reviewed in the multi-level governance context.•A three-phase policy panorama of green building policies in a historical timeline.•Central government plays a leading role while local governments shift to regulating.•Policy quantity, intensity and structure show an obvious regional heterogeneity.•Local governments have improved green building policies with stronger enforcement. Green building policies (GBPs) are considered the most fundamental and effective pathway towards green building (GB) promotion. However, few studies have focused on policies from the multi-level governance perspective. To fill this gap, this study empirically analyses the historical development of GB governance in China and unearths solutions for future policy development. A total of 254 central and 1175 local GBPs during 2004–2021 are systematically reviewed and analysed from the dimensions of policy correlation, content, quantity, type and intensity. Key findings demonstrate that the central government stresses its guiding role by issuing a large number of direction-based policies. Meanwhile, local governments increasingly respond to the central initiatives by improving their GBPs framework, forming a ‘top-down’ GB governance system. Over time, China has set more ambitious targets, achieved improved progression and established a ‘carrot-and-stick’ system in GB governance. Accordingly, China’s GBP development is suggested to focus on 1) alleviating economic inequality and facilitating regional cooperation, 2) improving legal and regulatory systems, 3) conducting policy innovation based on regional heterogeneity, 4) establishing information disclosure mechanism and 5) developing market-oriented green finance system. This study provides a valuable reference for improving policy system to promote GB in other countries and regions.