A mix of policies are needed to encourage effective low-carbon innovation and subsequently deliver radical carbon emissions reductions in new buildings, argues new paper by Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED) Doctoral Researcher Sofia Kesidou and Co-Director Professor Steven Sorrell.
The article makes the following policy recommendations:
1, we need policies to encourage collaborative procurement approaches in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC)
2, policies to promote and safeguard low-carbon knowledge networks and partnerships between clients, supply chains and users
3, policies to improve ‘energy literacy’ throughout the construction sector.
The researchers explore existing literature to create a typology of low-carbon innovations in the non-domestic building sector and identify conditions and integration strategies for their successful implementation.
The paper also proposes a broader understanding of supply chain integration – traditionally a measure taken to improve construction project productivity – that can meet project goals but also optimise energy and emission performance of buildings.
Finally, the study highlights the importance of long-term, trust-based relationships, collaborative tools, the early involvement of users in the building process and the need for innovation brokers or champions for the effective implementation of innovations.
The paper is based on a literature review and uses two preliminary case studies to test its conceptual framework.
Read the full article.
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