Lisø PhD Dissertation Manuscript - NTNU

LisÖ et al.
construction industry’s determination and ability to
respond to climate change will be an important factor
in the development of adaptation strategies. Strategies
for climate change adaptation should be developed
with due consideration for other agendas for change
within the construction industry, including the general
movement towards industrialisation, prefabrication
and off-site construction (Lowe, 2001) (and the development
of increasingly Europeanised construction and
construction products industries). There are a number
of actors and institutions that operate within the building
sector and a high degree of interaction with other
sectors and societal changes, but there remains a dearth
of empirical studies on how these interactions affect
climate change adaptation in Norway.
Research
Research funding in Norway is largely coordinated
through the Research Council of Norway. In the past,
climate-related research has been distributed among a
large number of research programmes, including those
on biodiversity, polar issues and energy-related issues.
Lately, a restructuring of climate-related research has
been taking place in Norway. The aim is to consolidate
climate-related research into fewer programmes related
to technological development, the natural science of
climate change and the effects of climate change. The
time horizon for most of these programmes (of the
order of ten years) is intended to allow for a better
structured and strategically sound planning of the
research effort. A particular emphasis has been placed
on the development of climate-friendly technologies in
Norway and a substantial amount of money is to be
spent on the development of technologies for reducing
the CO2 emissions from gas-fired power plants.
Although some studies have been funded to examine
economic sensitivity, vulnerability and institutional
adaptation, the main thrust of the research effort
focuses on first-order physical effects of climate change
on the environment, only indirectly addressing
Norway’s built environment. The construction industry
is so far unique in having its own concerted programme
of research specifically aimed at the possible impacts of
climate change. This effort was, however, initiated and
funded by NBI and the building and insurance sectors
rather than the Research Council of Norway programmes.
The research programme ‘Climate 2000 –
Building Constructions in a More Severe Climate’
(Lisø et al., 2002a), is being managed by NBI and carried
out in cooperation with a large number of key
actors in the construction industry. It was initiated in
August 2000 and will continue to the end of 2006.
The programme’s principal objectives are to:
208
Survey and increase knowledge about potential
impacts of climate change on the built environment
and how society can best adapt to these changes
Develop and update methods, tools and solutions in
principle for the planning and design of buildings
(materials, structures and external enclosures) in
order to increase both the durability and reliability
in the face of external climatic impact
Define more accurate criteria and codes of practice
concerning building performance in severe climates
Conclusions and implications
Climate change will entail new conditions for several
sectors of Norwegian society, including the construction
industry. The climate system is likely to undergo
changes, regardless of the implementation of abatement
policies under the Kyoto Protocol or other
regimes. While the full range of impacts resulting from
these changes is still uncertain, it is becoming clear
that adaptation to climate change is necessary and
inevitable. A thorough review of the Norwegian built
environment and infrastructure is needed in order to
evaluate how different types of buildings and structures
are vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate
change.
Norway is considered to have a high adaptive capacity,
based on macrolevel indicators such as wealth, technology,
information, skills, infrastructure, institutions,
equity, empowerment and the ability to spread risk
(McCarthy et al., 2001; O’Brien et al., 2002; Yohe and
Tol, 2002). Nevertheless, there have been few studies
demonstrating that these factors will de facto lead to
successful adaptation in Norway. Indeed, the entire
process of adaptation is poorly understood at present.
It is clear, however, that:
[a]daptive capacity in human systems varies
considerably among regions, countries, and
socio-economic groups.
(Smith et al., 2001 p. 918)
There is a clear need to identify areas of vulnerability in
the construction industry with regard to the potential
impacts of climate change, and to develop and prioritise
adaptation strategies. Both the functionality of the
existing built environment and the design of future
buildings are likely to be altered by the future impacts
of climate change, and the expected implications of
these new conditions must be investigated. However,
measures aimed at adjustments in individual sectors,
such as alterations of rules and specifications within
the building sector, constitute only a partial adaptation
to climate change. In order to develop necessary adaptation
strategies, larger societal and intersectoral
adjustments are crucial. There is an immediate need for
information and research, both with respect to sensitivities
in the built environment and technical solutions to
climate impacts on buildings. Further, understanding
needs to be enhanced with regard to the factors that