Climate change transformation in built environments – A policy instrument framework

Abstract

Built environments are key spaces for social and economic activities. They are critical sources of greenhouse gas emissions and will be important locations for adaptation to climate change impacts. To transform built environments to adequately address climate change, necessary policy instruments must be identified and activated. However, the application of ‘policy instrument’ typologies to empirical research and analysis of the built environment holistically is limited. We present a ‘built environment policy framework’ consisting of a policy instrument typology (strategies, laws, regulations, guidelines, voluntary instruments and programs) and a built environment policy setting (governance level, sector, property type, life stage, timeframe). The framework was tested in an Australian context, and used to map and visually represent built environment policy instruments. The results highlight the suitability of the framework for understanding the policy portfolio of a built environment context. The mapping identified that strategies were the dominant policy instrument. Fewer policy instruments were found to directly address the built environment's later life stages, and there were fewer at federal and international levels of governance. This new framework makes a theoretical contribution to policy instrument development for built environments – by applying a holistic and complex approach. It also makes a practical contribution, to assist built environment professionals and governments assess their current policy instrument portfolio to inform policy development that progresses climate change transformation.