1、 The Dutch sustainable building policy: A model for developing countries?(3) Luciana Melchert Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Sao Paulo, Rua do Lago, 876, CEP 05508.900, Sa o Paulo SP, Brazil Received 14 July 2005； received in revised form 19 September 2005； accepted 14 October 2
2、005. Abstract This article explores the institutionalization of environmental policies in the Dutch building sector and the applicability of the current model to developing countries. First, it analyzes the transition of sustainable building practices in the Netherlands from the 1970s until today, e
3、xploring how these were originally embedded in a discourse on de-modernization, which attempted to improve the environmental performance of building stocks by means of self-sufficient technologies, whereas nowadays they adopt a framework of ecological modernization, with integrative approaches seeki
4、ng to improve the environmental performance of building stocks through more efficientrather than self-sufficienttechnologies. The study subsequently shows how the current Dutch sustainable building framework has thereby managed to achieve a pragmatic and widely accepted rationale, which can serve to
5、 orient the ecological restructuring of building stocks in developing countries. r2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Sustainable building； Sustainable urban development； De-modernization； Ecological modernization 5. Sustainable building in developing countries: lessons from the Dutch
6、mode This article has so far analyzed the process through which environmental policies and practices have been introduced and implemented in the Dutch building sector. In this conclusive section, the status of sustainable building policies and practices in developing countries is assessed, before th
7、e lessons these countries can draw from the Dutch experienced are commented upon. Despite differences in climatic, cultural and economic contexts, there are many similarities between developed and developing countries regarding the environmental impacts of the building industry. John et al. 20, for
8、instance, in comparing the environmental impacts of the Brazilian building sector with the European one, mention that in Brazil it is responsible for about 14% of the GDP while for 11% of the European Union GDP, being therefore a large sector of the economy. In terms of energy use, the building sect
9、or accounts for more than half of the Brazilian electric energy consumption, while in the United Kingdom buildings are responsible for about 40 50% of energy consumption (DET R, mentioned in Ref . 20). Finally, the building sector is also accountable for consider able volumes of waste, most of which
10、 ending up in landfillsthe Conseil International du Ba timen t (CIB ) estimates that in many countries, the construction industry generates up to 40% of the total waste generated nationally (CIB, mentioned in 20 ). On the other hand, as analyzed in the document Agenda 21 for Sustainable Construction
11、 in Developing Countries 5, the scope of the problems is more complex in the developing world. To begin with, regions marked by economic problems and extreme poverty within developing countries have much more accentuated environmental problems, particularly in urban areas, such as slums and illegal
12、settlements, where the lack of proper infrastructure, sanitation and housing leads to the contamination of soils and water bodies, among other environmental impacts. Secondly, the developing world is still largely to be constructed and the activities of the building industry are extremely intense, p
13、osing - 1 - numerous pressures on the environment. The activities and products of the construction industry in developing countries should thus be oriented to be as sustainable as possible, avoiding since now the mistakes that have been made in the developed world. In a way, sustainable building tur
14、ns out to be a much more urgent agenda in developing countries when compared to developed ones. Another aspect that distinguishes developed and developing countries is the current legislative framework applied to the construction industry, as in developing countries it frequently has a limited envir
15、onmental contentnorms and standards, for instance, do not go beyond what can be considered reasonable in environmental terms, such as minimum requirements of natural ventilation and lighting inside buildings to a void excessive energy use. Against this background, the construction industry in develo
16、ping countries tends to be most commonly reactive, attempting to comply with existing regulations rather than seek bench marks and market differentiation through environmental gains (Ibid.).Although certa in environmentally friendly products and building components are already available in the marke
17、t , as remarked by John et al. 20 in the case of Brazil , there is a lack of global solutions that seek to achieve more comprehensive environmental effects. This way, environmental innovations in the building sector tend to emerge rather punctually in developing countries,as isolated examples, as th
18、ese countries lack an under lying,more institutionalized background for environmental change. It can be argued that a more solid sustainable building policy framework is still to be elaborated for the developing world, and in this context the Dutch experience can in certa in aspects serve as a usefu
19、l example. By fostering the environmental self-regulation of the construction sector through a combination of constraining and enabling policies, including an energy performance standard, packages for sustainable building, covenants, and advisory systems, the Dutch sustainable building policy framew
20、ork offers certain advantages to help formulate a sustainable building agenda for developing countries. It shows that it is possible to integrate financial and environmental objectives within a framework of rapid urban developmen t without changing fundamen-tally the dynamics and technologies that a
21、re already in place, but rather by refining them with an environmental content. It also reveals that it is possible to achieve a (partial) alleviation of the state from environmental care issues and have actors involved in the construction sector implementing sustainable building practices more volu
22、ntarily and proactively, seeking benchmarks to render the buildings they produce or occupy more efficient. The government plays an important role in agendizing environmental problems and orienting environmental change practices through policies, however the sustainable building agenda is mostly impl
23、emented by actors involved in the construction sector and/or end-users themselves. However, when considering the applicability of the Dutch model to developing countries, a final remark should be made regarding the institutional preconditions that are imperative. In a way, a certain degree of modern
24、ization needs to be in place in order to initiate an ecological modernization process, including an advanced level of technological development (see, for instance, 21 ). It is self-evident that these preconditions do not always exist in the developing world, particularly in the case of low-income co
25、untries, such as those in the sub-Saharan African region or regions marked by chronic poverty in middle-income countries, such as urban slums, where other strategies to achieve sustainable building should be fostered. On the other hand, a large part of the developing countries is already fully moder
26、nized and, in this case, the Dutch experience can be of relevance to help orient guidelines for sustainable building and urban design, seeking a refinement of existing technologies and urban realities, and eventually a self-regulation of the construction sector. In order to put such a model at work
27、it is important that a - 2 - sense of partner ship and commitment between the government and the construction industry is created to begin with by fostering dialogue and raising the level of environmental awareness of all stakeholders involved. Secondly, a common understanding and methods of coopera
28、tion regarding sustainable building practices should be clearly defined and endorsed through official documents, which can be referred to in biddings and negotiation processes. Finally, an effective combination of constraining and enablingthat is, of legal, economic and voluntary instrumentsshould b
29、e elaborated, according to local environmental problems and priorities. With these instruments in place and all actors committed, the construction industry in developing countries can contribute significantly to the sustainable development of the region. Acknowledgements I would like to thank one an
30、onymous reader for providing helpful comments on a nearlier version of this article. Part of the empirical content presented here consists of primary data, obtained through personal inter views: I am grateful to the individuals who took part in the se, particularly to Drs. And re de Miranda (ABN AMR
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