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Overcoming barriers to sustainability: an explanation of residential builders' reluctance to adopt clean technologies

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  • Jonatan Pinkse
  • Marcel Dommisse

Abstract

The construction industry has great opportunities to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings. However, in this industry, diffusion of cost‐effective clean technologies has been notoriously slow and below potential. This paper sheds light on factors that explain why construction companies have been reluctant to adopt energy‐efficient technologies. It questions why some companies have intensified their investments in clean technologies, while others are lagging behind. Based on a multiple case study of four Dutch building contractors, the paper shows that contractors that actively gather information and build internal technical capacity are keener on adopting energy‐efficient technologies. Findings also reveal that it will be a major challenge for the construction industry to communicate the advantages of clean technologies to (potential) home buyers and create market demand. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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  • Jonatan Pinkse & Marcel Dommisse, 2009. "Overcoming barriers to sustainability: an explanation of residential builders' reluctance to adopt clean technologies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(8), pages 515-527, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:18:y:2009:i:8:p:515-527
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.615
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