Towards a broader use of wooden construction materials: Intermediary organisations in the sustainability transition of the construction sector

Abstract

Aim: This paper presents an ongoing study on sustainability transitions in the Norwegian construction sector, with a focus on increasing the use of wood. The construction sector is very conservative and path dependent. Existing pathdependencies and lock-mechanisms are interrelated and reinforce each other, contributing to an unsustainable development within the sector and preventing a sustainable transformation. These interacting lock-ins create social problems, such as the lack of affordable city dwellings, a high cost for energy efficiency and renovation measures, and less flexibility for adapting dwelling spaces to new needs. A crucial question is therefore how to change pathdependencies and overcome these interacting lock-ins by developing new pathways what types of actors and efforts are required for such a change In this paper, we pay attention to the specific role of different types of intermediary organisations in the transition to a more sustainable construction sector in Norway. We investigate how such intermediaries contribute to more sustainable pathways in the construction sector, with a focus on the use of wood.