SMART BUILDINGS AND ESG COMPLIANCE: A CASE STUDY OF CHINESE HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS

China's green building sector has become the world's largest, with the Chinese mainland ranking first globally in LEED certifications for the ninth consecutive year and its smart building market projected to more than double from $96.3 billion in 2025 to $206.4 billion by 2031. This article examines how smart building technologies support Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliance in Chinese high-rise developments, using Shanghai Tower as an illustrative case. The analysis finds that environmental gains from smart systems are well documented and substantial, with reported energy and water savings of 15–50% depending on intervention type, while social and governance dimensions remain comparatively underdeveloped, constrained by a “triple institutional dilemma” of carbon lock-in, human-capital alienation, and ambiguous governance structures in China's construction sector. The article concludes that smart building technology is necessary but not sufficient for full ESG compliance, and that governance frameworks — not sensors — are the binding constraint on China's high-rise sustainability transition.