The emergence of multiple Building Environmental Assessment Methods (BEAMS) for green building: a spotlight on the dynamic interactions between industry stakeholders

Abstract

Following the emergence of the concepts “Green Building”/ “Sustainable Construction” in the early 1990s, much attention has been paid to developing Building Environmental Assessment Methods (BEAMs) to promulgate sustainable practices in the building industry. While BEAMs have emerged to operationalize the green building concept, the varied and sometimes conflicting interests of industry actors makes their development and establishment anything but a trivial undertaking. Stakeholders may have conflicting views and interests over how best to operationalize the concept “green building.” This notwithstanding, little is known about how different BEAMs have been created, which actors participate and influence the contents, and how their varied interests have influenced the establishment of BEAMs as green building standards. This paper sets out to provide a theoretical edifice aimed at explaining how the actions of industry actors has led to the emergence of a wide array of competing BEAMs in the same market. The point of departure is that the support received from actors (economic, social, political, etc.), and the personal interests and biases of interested parties influence the development and establishment of BEAMs. Drawing on the theory of Strategic Action Fields proposed by Fligstein and McAdam, we explain the emergence of multiple schemes and the dynamic interactions between industry stakeholders leading to their emergence. Focusing on the power struggle among various interested parties vis-à-vis the delivery of green buildings, we show how actors have jostled for position and engaged in various strategic actions to advance their interest and promote BEAMs that resonate with their core ideologies. We argue that the strategies employed by multiple actors with varied interest and resources have not only culminated in the emergence of multiple BEAMs, but also a struggle for market dominance.