ecobuild shanghai 2006 is an initiative from the sister-city partnership Hamburg - Shanghai. As a key project to promote innovative concepts for urban development and construction in Shanghai, ecobuild shanghai 2006 acts in line with the preparation of the World Expo Shanghai 2010 to foster a "Better City, Better Life".

After signature by Hamburg and Shanghai mayors of a memorandum on ecobuild shanghai 2006 in September 2004, both cities´ construction authorities agreed on an implementation framework in February 2005. Several sites in various Shanghai districts have been selected to demonstrate energy efficient, environmentally friendly technologies and concepts and benefit from technical assistance from Hamburg experts.

Hamburg and Shanghai started talks on a cooperation project in the field of sustainable urban development back in 2003.

The idea of ecobuild shanghai 2006 is based on the European Solar Building Exhibition, centrally coordinated by Hamburg´s ZEBAU (Centre for Energy, Building, Architecture and Environment). This building exhibition, taking place in 12 European cities during 2005, aims at raising public awareness for the different aspects of energy efficient building. The unique feature of the Solar Building Exhibition is the combination between concrete building projects being opened to the public and a multiplicity of events being organised around sustainable building, like seminars, workshops and demonstrations of energy efficient technology.

The European Solar Building Exhibition is the blueprint for ecobuild shanghai 2006, which is as well coordinated by Hamburg´s ZEBAU and the Association for the Promotion of Sustainable Building in China, SINOBAU e.V. (based in Hamburg and of which ZEBAU is a founding member).