The city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia has set a target of having 20-percent of its new buildings in line with the nation's green building standards by the end of this year, reports Baotou Daily, noting that Baotou is the region's only city involved in the national energy conservation and emission reduction project.

Last year, it had 14-percent of its buildings citywide, green, well above the year's target of 7-percent, and this year it is picking up the pace and has a new target of 20 percent green for its new buildings in the main urban area.

The term "green building" generally refers to design, construction and maintainance that use sustainable materials, improved indoor air quality, and other measurable economic goals for energy efficiency and environmental protection. Developers say they also take project location into consideration and select sites with sunlight exposure that are close to public transportation, supermarkets, fitness centers and other amenities.