Barriers inhibiting the transition to sustainability within the Australian construction industry: An investigation of technical and social interactions

Martek, I. and Reza Hosseini, M.R. and Shrestha, A. and Edwards, D.J. and Durdyev, S. (2019) Barriers inhibiting the transition to sustainability within the Australian construction industry: An investigation of technical and social interactions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 211. pp. 281-292. ISSN 09596526 (ISSN)

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Abstract

Research concedes that the building industry in Australia has fallen short of satisfying sustainability requirements. Currently, the responsibility for transitioning the building industry into one that is sustainable is laid largely at the feet of low-carbon governance instruments such as mandatory codes and sustainability rating tools. The behavior of groups, interactions of individual actors, relationship between actors' and group level behaviors that affect implementation of these instruments have, however, received only cursory attention. This study therefore seeks to move beyond the instruments debate and identify a broader range of factors inhibiting the transition to sustainability within the Australian building industry. It draws on focus group discussions held with 26 leading sustainability experts and practitioners from around the country. Whereas, earlier work on impediments to sustainability pre-identify potential causal factors, this study, with Sustainability Transition as the theoretical lens, allowing for new and as yet unidentified impediments to emerge. Indeed, while findings confirm a range of technical shortcomings hindering sustainability transition, the deeper barrier is shown to be the prevalence of a dysfunctional sustainability ecosystem where siloed vested interest groups exploit Australia's ineffective transition regimes for their own gain. The practical implication is that current efforts to refine rating tools and modify building practices – remedies identified in earlier research – will not be enough to effect meaningful transition, as long as end-users remain disenfranchised, confused and unpersuaded of the benefits of sustainable buildings.

Item Type: Article
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.166
Dates:
DateEvent
18 November 2018Accepted
20 November 2018Published Online
20 February 2019Published
Uncontrolled Keywords: Sustainability transitionGreen rating toolsGreen buildingsLow carbonSocial dynamicsSustainable construction
Subjects: CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-01 - architecture
CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-02 - building
CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-04 - planning (urban, rural and regional)
Divisions: Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment
Depositing User: Euan Scott
Date Deposited: 01 Feb 2019 15:44
Last Modified: 03 Mar 2022 15:49
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/6986

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