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@PHDTHESIS{Sterk:988448,
author = {Sterk, Ellen},
othercontributors = {Lorz, Jens Oliver and Letmathe, Peter},
title = {{E}ssays on economic incentives for the implementation of
sustainable construction processes and materials},
school = {Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen},
type = {Dissertation},
address = {Aachen},
publisher = {RWTH Aachen University},
reportid = {RWTH-2024-06184},
pages = {1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen},
year = {2024},
note = {Veröffentlicht auf dem Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen
University; Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische
Hochschule Aachen, 2024},
abstract = {This dissertation, which consists of four separate essays,
deals with economic incentives to foster the adoption of
sustainable construction processes and the application of
sustainable construction materials. This topic is examined
on three analytical levels: the micro, meso, and macro. The
first two essays of this thesis are set on the micro level
as they examine individual demand decisions. Specifically,
they focus on construction clients and their demand for
recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) as an alternative to
concrete with primary aggregates. The first paper identifies
the barriers and drivers to the demand for RAC, the
willingness to pay (WTP), and the factors that influence it.
The second identifies which economic incentives can
effectively drive the demand for RAC. Based on the
sustainable construction literature and interviews with
experts from the industry, a survey is set up and
administered to construction clients in Germany who are
divided into private individuals, organizations, and
developing companies. The main parts of the survey are a
discrete choice experiment and a factorial survey. These are
analyzed using nested logit, mixed logit, and linear
regression models. The results of the first essay show that
information-based barriers are the most prominent, while
clients are driven to use RAC by their environmental
awareness. All client groups have a positive WTP for
recycled aggregates in concrete, but the estimates differ
substantially between client groups. Only the WTP of a
selective subset of the sample matches the current price
premium for RAC. The second essay finds that only a
financial grant is effective in all client groups. Still,
all other tested incentives (prioritized treatment of the
building permit, free technical assistance, public
recognition, and information provision) are also effective
in at least one group. These essays emphasize that
incentives are necessary to stimulate demand for RAC across
all construction clients. They should be designed carefully,
as the target group and a potential combination of
incentives can impact their effectiveness and efficiency.
The third essay captures the meso level of analysis, as its
object is municipalities and their citizens. It identifies
the public’s stance toward sustainable public construction
in their municipality in terms of attitude and action. A
survey is conducted in four participating municipalities
throughout Germany. The same methodology is applied as in
the first two essays. The results show that the public
attitude toward sustainable construction of public buildings
is consistently positive. However, the results regarding the
willingness to act in favor of it are more ambiguous.
Citizens are willing to contribute financially to increasing
sustainability throughout the life cycle of public buildings
and would sign a petition for implementing sustainability
standards of construction. In contrast, only in about half
the cases, they would engage in formats offered by the
municipality on the topic (such as discussion rounds or a
newsletter). The default effect – the finding that the
option presented as the default is chosen significantly more
often – shows to be a promising tool for municipalities
aiming to foster sustainable construction and increase the
public’s acceptance. The fourth essay examines the macro
level, focusing on European countries and their policies
towards resource efficiency. Specifically, it analyzes
whether a resource tax can support the country’s
transition towards a Circular Economy (CE). Secondary data
is assembled and analyzed using the Augmented Mean Group
Estimator to answer this question. The results indicate an
overall positive effect of resource taxes on resource
productivity, a CE indicator measuring the output a country
generates with the resources consumed. However, the
country-specific regression results show that the effect
differs strongly between countries. Other CE indicators are
tested with mixed results: While no effect is found for the
circular material use rate or the number of patents related
to recycling and secondary materials, resource taxes seem to
affect a country’s material footprint and GVA from
CE-related activities. Since construction materials account
for more than half of the resources extracted and the waste
generated in the European Union, the results likely apply to
the construction sector. Thereby, the call for a primary
construction resource tax, which is prominent especially in
Germany, is supported by our results. This dissertation
shows that economic incentives can be applied to all levels
of society – the individual, the municipality, and the
country – to foster resource efficiency in the
construction industry.},
cin = {814320},
ddc = {300},
cid = {$I:(DE-82)814320_20140620$},
pnm = {080053 - Forschungskolleg Verbund.NRW (080053)},
pid = {G:(NRW)080053},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)11},
doi = {10.18154/RWTH-2024-06184},
url = {https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/988448},
}
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