Towards Carbon Neutrality: The Development and Technological Pathways from Green Buildings and Passive Buildings to Zero-Carbon Buildings

Abstract

Against the backdrop of global efforts to address climate change and China's steadfast advancement of the "dual carbon" strategic goals, the low-carbon transition in the building sector has become critical to achieving carbon neutrality. This paper examines the evolutionary pathway from green buildings and passive buildings to zero-carbon buildings, systematically analyzing the inherent logic and progressive development of these three building concepts in terms of their sustainability objectives, core principles, and technological systems. The study reveals that green buildings establish a comprehensive philosophy of lifecycle environmental friendliness, passive buildings minimize building energy demand through state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies, while zero-carbon buildings build upon the solid foundations of the former two by integrating renewable energy and carbon management to ultimately achieve net-zero carbon balance in building operation and even across the entire lifecycle. The paper further analyzes the key technological pathways underpinning this evolution, including passive-first strategies ranging from integrated design to ultra-low energy consumption, as well as active renewable energy supply systems progressing from energy efficiency enhancement to energy generation integration. Ultimately, the paper aims to provide a clear theoretical framework and practical roadmap for the building industry to systematically and incrementally progress toward the goal of carbon neutrality.