Critically reviewing the 50 sociotechnical risks of building sector decarbonization: Conceptualizing risk as a proximity spiral

IF 7.1 2区工程技术 Q1 CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

Energy and Buildings Pub Date : 2025-06-18 DOI:10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.116042

Erin Heinz , Benjamin K. Sovacool , Thomas Kwan , Vincent Petit

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Abstract

Deep decarbonization of the building sector requires a widespread shift in the processes, materials, energy sources, and technologies used for homes, hospitals, factories, and other structures and infrastructure by 2050. While the goal of deep decarbonization and the broader energy transition is to minimize the potential for catastrophic climate change effects brought on by carbon emissions, the transition to new technologies and processes can introduce new, unanticipated risks. This paper critically reviews the risks associated with the decarbonization of buildings. By categorizing fifty identified risks into six themes, this study highlights the dominance of a technical–economic perspective in discussions of risk in building decarbonization and shows that the literature focuses on immediate construction and operational risks, overlooking important environmental and social risks associated with design and deconstruction of buildings. The paper concludes by proposing a conceptual sociotechnical model to account for spatially and temporally diffuse risks across the building life-cycle and stakeholder population.

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批判性地回顾建筑部门脱碳的50个社会技术风险：将风险概念化为接近螺旋

到2050年，建筑行业的深度脱碳需要广泛改变用于家庭、医院、工厂和其他结构和基础设施的工艺、材料、能源和技术。虽然深度脱碳和更广泛的能源转型的目标是尽量减少碳排放带来的灾难性气候变化影响的可能性，但向新技术和新工艺的过渡可能会带来新的、意想不到的风险。本文批判性地回顾了与建筑脱碳相关的风险。通过将50个已确定的风险分为六个主题，本研究强调了技术经济视角在讨论建筑脱碳风险中的主导地位，并表明文献关注的是直接的建筑和运营风险，忽略了与建筑设计和解构相关的重要环境和社会风险。本文最后提出了一个概念性的社会技术模型，以解释在建筑生命周期和利益相关者群体中空间和时间上分散的风险。

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来源期刊

Energy and Buildings 工程技术-工程：土木

CiteScore

12.70

自引率

11.90%

发文量

863

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： An international journal devoted to investigations of energy use and efficiency in buildings Energy and Buildings is an international journal publishing articles with explicit links to energy use in buildings. The aim is to present new research results, and new proven practice aimed at reducing the energy needs of a building and improving indoor environment quality.