A sustainability transition in the Danish construction sector depends not only on new materials and regulations but also on how projects are actually executed by the many small contracting companies that dominate the industry. These firms make daily decisions about materials, methods, and cooperation, and therefore play a central role in whether environmental goals can be realized in practice.
Current sustainability policies often rely on certification schemes, documentation tools, and life-cycle assessments, which are designed to fit larger organizations. For small contractors, these measures can appear abstract, burdensome, or detached from their craft traditions and working conditions. As a result, the implementation gap remains significant: while sustainability is prioritized at the institutional level, it is often difficult to translate into everyday project execution.This PhD project investigates how small contracting companies interpret, negotiate, and enact sustainability in their daily work. By combining Critical Realism and Inhabited Institutionalism, the project examines both the structural conditions (procurement systems, certification schemes, regulatory frameworks) and the cultural dynamics (craft pride, masculinity, notions of mastery and competence) that shape sustainability practices.
The aim of the project is to generate new knowledge on how sustainability measures can be made more relatable and operationalizable for small contractors. This involves identifying typical patterns of project execution, exploring mechanisms of resistance and adaptation, and developing concepts that link institutional frameworks with situated practices.
The PhD project is based 麻豆社区 ITI, with a focus on the Danish construction sector, and contributes to the broader debate on how sustainability transitions can succeed in sectors characterized by fragmented structures, strong craft cultures, and everyday project-based work.