Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) yesterday demanded officials implement green building standards when renovating old school buildings, saying that green criteria should not prevent projects from being completed on schedule.
Liu made the remarks while inspecting the reconstruction of old school buildings at Jinshan Elementary School in Taipei County, along with Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城) and Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋).
“To repair or to dismantle and rebuild old school buildings is not just to complete the renovations. What is more important is to enhance their quality and achieve the goal of energy conservation and reduction of carbon emissions,” Liu said.
Under the government’s NT$500 billion (US$15.22 billion) 2009-2012 plan to expand domestic demand, safety assessments will be conducted on about 8,000 buildings, while 4,576 buildings in elementary and junior high schools are to be demolished and rebuilt to enhance the earthquake resistance.
About 582 buildings at senior high schools will be repaired and 1,550 classrooms will be rebuilt during the four-year period.
The money spent on reducing carbon dioxide emissions should be no less than 10 percent of the program’s total budget for the year and it should be used to install energy-saving lamps and lanterns. Liu said.
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