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Mind the Gap: A Policy Gap Analysis of Programmes Promoting Timber Construction in Nordic Countries

Author

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  • Martyna Maniak-Huesser

    (CFA Society Switzerland, 6300 Zug, Switzerland
    Centre for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Zürich, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland)

  • Lars G. F. Tellnes

    (Department of Economics, Innovation and Society, Østfold University College, 1757 Halden, Norway)

  • Edwin Zea Escamilla

    (Centre for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Zürich, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
    Chair for Sustainable Construction, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETHZ, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland)

Abstract

The construction sector is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and consumers of energy, making it one of the most relevant sectors when planning reduction strategies and policies. The use of timber in the built environment has been identified as a key strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction sector. In this paper, we use the concept of policy gap analysis to identified underlying challenges in the implementation of timber construction on three Nordic countries, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. We carried out a series of semi-structured interviews with experts from the countries of study. The interviews came from industry, government, and construction companies. The use of the gap analysis approach was useful not only to identify areas that are being targeted but also those areas that were not covered by any programme at the time of study. The results showed that the studied programmes have a large level of coverage and congruence with the identified challenges. Moreover, they also showed that challenges related to fire safety regulations and insurance policies for timber buildings still need to be addressed, whereas the challenges of high price variability and lack of promotion are being addressed by multiple programmes. With this work, we have seen how timber construction is gaining momentum and how the challenges have been addressed systematically.

Suggested Citation

  • Martyna Maniak-Huesser & Lars G. F. Tellnes & Edwin Zea Escamilla, 2021. "Mind the Gap: A Policy Gap Analysis of Programmes Promoting Timber Construction in Nordic Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:11876-:d:666043
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Tykkä, Saana & McCluskey, Denise & Nord, Tomas & Ollonqvist, Pekka & Hugosson, Mårten & Roos, Anders & Ukrainski, Kadri & Nyrud, Anders Q. & Bajric, Fahrudin, 2010. "Development of timber framed firms in the construction sector -- Is EU policy one source of their innovation?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 199-206, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dushan Fernando & Satheeskumar Navaratnam & Pathmanathan Rajeev & Jay Sanjayan, 2023. "Study of Technological Advancement and Challenges of Façade System for Sustainable Building: Current Design Practice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-33, September.
    2. Rahman, Md. Rayhanur & Wallin, Ida & Toivonen, Ritva & Toppinen, Anne, 2024. "Local policy networks in support of wood-based construction: A case study from Joensuu, Finland," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).

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