Late last year, the city government announced a plan to reduce Shanghai's energy consumption by 20 percent per unit of gross domestic product by 2010 compared with 2005.

On November 15, seven companies - including the Austrian-based Baumit and the German-based Henkel - established a quality alliance for an external thermal insulation component system under the leadership of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Beijing.

While promoting their products in China, alliance members said they will also advise the nation's central and local governments on setting up construction-related energy-saving standards.

According to Chen Chen, a Chinese manager of the Beijing-based quality alliance, there is much room for improvement in construction quality in the country.

She said that in Europe, buildings more than 22 meters high must be constructed with walls containing minerals to insulate against fire. In China, there are no such fire-prevention standards for buildings.

She said the alliance welcomes Chinese companies to participate in the scheme.

Shanghai is home to more than 4,000 high-rise buildings, or those above 18 stories.

She also said that in the European Union, most construction companies use a package of standardized thermal-insulation materials.

In China construction firms use materials that vary in quality, with some good and others not up to standard, she said.

Construction experts at the conference suggested that China needs to legislate stricter rules governing the authenticity of building materials.

(Shanghai Daily March 13, 2008)