View article

In line with Germany’s commitment to decarbonise its economy, a key question is how the residential building stock can be more rapidly decarbonised, affordably and without disadvantaging low-income households. This sector is heterogeneous in terms of its buildings, socio-demographics, weather, wealth, finance mechanisms, construction industry and retrofit technology, while the regulatory framework is complex and in places contorted and the costs of energy, construction and finance are currently increasing. As a result of ten years of research in this domain, including an ongoing research project, the author developed a four-element conceptual framework, aiming to provide order and coherence to help policymakers better understand what needs to be done: entailments, enablers, desires, and constraints. The framework draws on Bhaskar’s critical realism, Harré’s scientific realism, Giddens’ structuration theory, Kauffman’s entailments-enablers theory and recent developments in the philosophy of “will”. It is therefore not arbitrary but is anchored to the ways social-technical change appears to happen. The author offers a theoretical justification of the framework, then tests it in the case study of the current research project. It proves effective in highlighting major issues that need to be addressed to move forward the endeavour of affordably and justly decarbonising Germany’s housing stock.