building sustainability? - helsinki
TRANSCRIPT
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BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY?
Heini Vihemäki, Anne Toppinen & Ritva Toivonen, University of Helsinki
10/09/2018 1CRR Conference / Heini Vihemäki
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OUTLINE
Background
Aims & approach
Context: WMC in Finland
Policy processed linked to WMC
Actors involved in the policy processes
Four Narratives on WMC
Conclusions & further research
10/09/2018 2CRR Conference / Heini Vihemäki
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BACKGROUND
• Global trends of urbanization, population growth, climate change
• GHG emissions, non-renewablematerials of the constructionsector
• Wooden multi-storey construction(WMC): the load bearingstructural framework made mostlyof wood-based products
• Several technologies
• Radical innovation
• Niche markets (still)
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BACKGROUND
• ”path-dependency” of construction sector: persistent waysof operating (BoU) as an obstacle towards increased useof wood (Mahapatra & Gustavsson 2008, Hurmekoski et al. 2015)
• Without markets interventions, difficult for WMC to gainsolid ground in the construction markets (Mahapatra et al. 2012, Hurmekoski et al. 2018)
• Yet, regulatory push & financial instruments may be problematic from the construction sector actors’ perps.
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AIMS
1) To map the policy context of WMC in Finland (e.g. policy programmes, processes, agendas),
2) To identify the actors and networks engaged in the WMC-related policy processes, and explore their agency (narratives)
Research Questions:
• Which actors are involved in the policy processes around WMC in Finland (nationally)? (How do they relate to each other, e.g. co-operation & coordination of actions?)
• What kind of narratives do they have regarding WMC, esp. regarding the policy goals and instruments?
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APPROACH
• Multi-level Perspective of Geels (2004) as a background theory
• Hajer’s (1995) discursive approach to environmental policymaking & politics as an conceptual/methdological approach
• focus on discursive interaction between the actors (i.e. language in use), and how it can create new meanings and positionings, bring actors together / divide them
• Storylines as “narratives on social reality through which elements from many different domains are combined and that provide actors with a set of symbolic references that suggest a common understanding” (Hajer 1995)
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METHODS
• Thematic interviews of policyactors /experts on WMC (13 persons), recorded, transcriped
• Review of literature(academic, policy documents, media)
• Participatory observation in 5 events
10/09/2018CRR Conference / Heini Vihemäki 7
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• Civil-servants of Min. of Environment, Min. of Employment& Economics, Agriculture & Forestry (in total 5)
• Construction company/developer (3)
• Advocacy organisations, pro wood and other (3)
• Research and education (1)
• Expert organisation on sustainable building (1)
• Most actors operating at the national level, companiesmore local
• Analysis: close reading, identifying themes related to policy goals and measures, categorizing them
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METHODS: INTERVIEWS
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CONTEXT: WMC IN FINLAND
• 2nd highest % of residencies in multistory houses in Europe
• Urbanization, living in multi-story houses
• Historically, wood as frame material not allowed in multistory residential buildings (fire risk)
• “enabling” shifts in building regulations since mid-1990s, gradual, fluctuating growth of WMC
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GROWTH OF WMC FLATSIN FINLAND
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Source: Hurmekoski et al. (2018).
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POLICY PROCESSESSUPPORTING WMC
During the 2010’s, several policy programmes and related processes linked to use of wood in construction
• National Forest Strategy and its National Wood Construction Programme (2011-2015)
• Finnish Bioeconomy Strategy 2025 (of 2014)
• National Forest Strategy 2025 (of 2015)
• National Wood Building Programme (NWBP) 2016-2021,
• Energy & Climate Strategy 2017-2030
• Roadmap to low-carbon construction, sustainable cities
• Various ministries leading the policy processes, shifting roles and need for coordination
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ACTORS IN POLICY PROC.
10/09/2018 12CRR Conference / Heini Vihemäki
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ACTORS IN WMC POLICYPROCESSES
• Close collaboration, e.g. exchange of information, consultation, among the key actors
• High number of actors, informal and formal networks btw them
• Min. of Environment: emphasizing intra-ministry coordination (many programs, processes)
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NARRATIVES (1): BIOECONOMY
• Wood construction seen as the”backbone of the bioeconomy”
• WMC as a means to advanceBioeconomy’s growth
• Arguments for WMC
• Availabilty of resources
• Sustainabilty
• Employment & economicbenefits (value chains)
• Psychological/healthbenefits
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• “…forests grow and [when] wood is being used, it has many positive impacts, in Finland and on the national economy, value chains…” (int. 4).
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NARRATIVES (2): INDUSTRY
• Goal to increase WMC as such, and to create more demand and markets for high-value wood products
• Arguments for WMC, e.g.
• Increased Value added of wood products
• Pre-fabrication as an advantage
• Sustainability aspects
Need to lower the regulatory requirements for WMC, new financial instruments
• “…the main objective [of the NWBP] is to increase wood construction, and as a sub-objective, it has been brought up that through the increase of wood construction, the carbon storage of the housing stock needs to be increased (int. 1)
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NARRATIVES (3); SUSTAINABILITY
• sustainable development, shift to low-carbon or circular economy, as the main objectives
• Arguments for WMC
• Environmental sustainability
• Health, psychological
Instruments: regulatory reform, information sharing, voluntary market-based instrument
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NARRATIVES (4): COUNTER
• The support to WMC by thegov. questioned, seen as unacceptable / unfair by”mainstream” companies
• ”material neutrality” as goal
• Arguments (against WMC)
• Not sustainable
• Lack of scientific evidenceon the benefits
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”It is not realistic in any way that one could substitute concrete with wood in construction […] as the wood will simply not be enough…”
“there is a strong motivation to promote wood construction and the unwillingness to integrate our comments in the inner circles of the policy making”
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CONCLUSIONS
• Path-dependency of concrete-domination not fully challenged, despite of long-term policysupport to WMC (low market %)
• Rise of climatechange/sustainability arguments
• Few central, well-connectedactors in the policy processes
• Four narratives linked to differenttypes of actors, divergent viewson policy goals & instruments
10/09/2018 18CRR Conference / Heini Vihemäki
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FURTHER RESEARCH
• More in-depth analysis of the narratives and theirrelations to the actors, other forms of agency(discursive coalitions), institutional and materialaspects
• Functioning of theinnovation system linked to WMC
• Comparative research on WMC policy frameworkwith Sweden and Austria
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WOOD VISION 2025-PROJECTPolicy coherence, efficiency and instruments for significant growthof exports of WMC by 2025:
Funded by:
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
• Metsämiesten säätiöfoundation
• Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners
10/09/2018 20CRR Conference / Heini Vihemäki
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THANK YOU!
Thank you!
https://blogs.helsinki.fi/woodvision2025/