BEIJING - About half of China's new urban buildings will meet green construction standards by 2020, the country's construction watchdog said.

All new urban residential and public buildings should meet energy conservation requirements by 2020, with energy efficiency levels 20 percent higher than 2015, according to a development plan for the construction sector released Thursday by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

About 40 percent of new urban construction projects should use environmentally friendly and energy-saving construction materials.

The output value of construction industry is expected to grow seven percent annually from 2016 to 2020, according to the plan.