Towards a sustainable economy? Socio-technical transitions in the green building sector

Abstract

Making the transition to a green economy is a major policy driver in the UK and other countries. Entrepreneurs are suggested as being at the forefront of this transition and as a driving force for sustainability. These “green entrepreneurs” may represent a new type of entrepreneurial behaviour combining economic, environmental and social aims. In this paper, we present empirical work conducted with green entrepreneurs in the UK green building sector. Buildings have significant impacts on the environment, both in terms of materials and post-construction energy demands. Drawing on sustainability transitions theory, we examine the role of green entrepreneurs in affecting change and suggest that green building niches are less consensual than previously theorised. In theorising green entrepreneurs, we also point to the need to consider them within wider networks of activity rather than as lone actors and the implications this has for policy.

Keywords:

• UK
• green entrepreneurs
• green building
• multi-level perspective
• sustainability transitions

Notes

1. Accessed 7 June 2011.

2. See United Nations Sustainable Building and Climate Initiative (2008).

3. We are specifically interested in radical green entrepreneurs rather than what has been termed as intrapreneurial activity within large firms, such as Marks and Spencer's Plan A, as well as what many firms involved in the research saw as “greenwash” from larger companies seeking to “jump on the bandwagon”.

4. This has also been the case with several of the “exemplar” green entrepreneurs mentioned earlier – Anita Roddick's Body Shop (Roddick 2001) was purchased by L'Oréal, Ben and Jerry's by Unilever.

5. Smith (2004) makes this same point through a comparison with the Alternative Technology movement in the UK. This movement had a keen awareness of the need to consider political and economic power structures.

6. Indeed, globally green building is intrinsically spatially variable as people take advantage of locally available building materials (Pickerill 2011), thus creating vernacular architectural styles.

7. See Passivhaus (2011).

8. This has also been described as “plastic bags propped up by a timber structure” SuDoBE (2009).

9. Some planning authorities stipulate that building should be Passivhaus standard or almost Passivhaus level, for example, Brussels City Region.

10. The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. The Code aims to reduce UK carbon emissions and create homes that are more sustainable. The Feed-in-Tariffs were introduced through the UK Energy Act 2008 and encouraged the installation of small scale (less than 5MW) low-carbon electricity generation, by offering payments for electricity generation as well as payments for surplus power sold back to the national grid.

11. The Green Deal is a government schemes which encourages energy-saving home improvements, like insulation. Payments for these improvements are taken from the electricity bill and these repayments should be less than the money saved as a result of those energy efficiency improvements. It was launched in January 2013, after the research interviews took place.

12. The RHI is a UK Government initiative to increase the use of renewable fuels for heating by providing financial support – the non-domestic sector is already eligible but the domestic scheme has yet to be launched.

13. A large UK multiple retailer of do-it-yourself building and gardening products.

14. The Green Investment Bank is a government initiative to stimulate green investments in renewable technologies, energy efficiency and support the Green Deal (Green Investment Bank 2012)

15. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.