Voluntary Environmental Governance Arrangements in the Australian Building Sector

Abstract

Voluntary environmental governance arrangements (VEGAs) are designed to minimise negative outcomes through the use of collectively agreed arrangements. They have attracted a large literature, but issues remain unresolved, especially regarding their effectiveness. This article takes up a small part of this challenge of mapping the role of VEGAs in larger systems of environmental governance by examining the development and implementation of a range of VEGAs in the Australian building sector, here defined as the construction and use of buildings.

人们设计了自愿环境治理计划，意在通过集体认同的安排尽量减少消极结果。它吸引了大量文献的关注，但问题依旧是问题，特别在效率方面。本文试图回答其中一小部分问题，通过考察其在澳大利亚建筑部门（这里定义为建筑和建筑物的使用），看看自愿环境治理计划在更大的环境治理中究竟扮演什么样的角色。

Keywords:

• building sector
• environmental governance
• new governance
• policymaking

Notes

¹Former and present grant administrators in Adelaide (Interviewee #51, 2012); Brisbane (Interviewee #27, 2012); and Melbourne (Interviewee #13, 2011).

²City Switch administrators in Sydney (Interviewee #41, 2012); Adelaide (Interviewee #50, 2012); and Brisbane (Interviewee #35, 2012).

³URL: <http://www.cityswitch.net.au>.

⁴URL: <http://www.sydneybetterbuildings.com.au>.

⁵I borrowed this term from the field of psychology (see Howlin, Magiati and Charman 2009).

⁶Administrators in Melbourne (Interviewee #11, 2011); Brisbane (Interviewee #27, 2012); and Adelaide (Interviewee #51, 2012).

⁷A project may consist of more than one building.

⁸VEGA administrators in Sydney (Interviewees #39, #41, #42, 2012); Brisbane (Interviewee #30, 2012); and Melbourne (Interviewee #26, 2012).

⁹Data from URLs: <http://www.hia.com.au>; <http://www.pulse.buildingcommission.com.au>; <http://www.propertyoz.com.au>.