On Stakeholders and the Decision Making Process Concerning Sustainable Renovation and Refurbishment in Sweden, Denmark and Cyprus

This article examines the decision making process related to sustainable renovation and refurbishment in buildings. The utilized methodology identifies three distinct phases in order to instigate an engagement in sustainable renovation, by means of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. In particular, the attitude of stakeholders in Sweden, Denmark and Cyprus to sustainable building renovation/refurbishment is studied through three separate case studies. Within the framework of this study, it is identified that building physics and durability are the most important drivers for energy renovation. In Sweden, Denmark and Cyprus, these factors are contributed by maintenance, deterioration and moisture, respectively. The results of the questionnaires and semi-structured interviews presented herein provide an insight into the renovation process in the aforementioned countries and reveal that economy is not the most important driver for energy renovation. Instead, the results signify that drivers such as improvement of indoor air quality and elimination of moisture in the building envelope are of crucial importance. Moreover, the practical implications of this research explore and identify existing instruments for sustainable renovation and refurbishment.