Climate declarations for buildings as a new policy instrument in Sweden: a multiple streams perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sweden has recently adopted new legislation on mandatory climate declarations of buildings. This occurred before the EU policy requests. The implementation of climate calculations and the visibility of the results of these calculations in a declaration is intended to increase building developers’ knowledge of the climate impact from construction and improves the opportunities for the developer to make conscious choices that reduce their climate impact. Using the Multiple Stream Framework as a theoretical lens, we analyse by qualitative and quantitative text analysis, the formulation and decision-making on the new law. A majority of stakeholders approved the proposal for the new law, but it was not undisputed. Some stakeholders advocated a voluntary scheme instead of a mandatory scheme. Some key stakeholders advocated a focus on life cycle emissions rather than embedded construction emissions only. The final line of conflict was that the climate declarations are not linked to the most important phase for reducing the climate impact of buildings, which is planning and design, rather than construction. We show how frame disconnection and frame polarization was used by the Government Offices of Sweden and the Swedish government to downplay critique from key stakeholders.