How Does the Government Policy Combination Prevents Greenwashing in Green Building Projects? An Evolutionary Game Perspective

Abstract

Green buildings (GBs) can effectively reduce building energy consumption and alleviate energy problems. However, as green building projects swell, the development process of GBs in China has gradually exposed many problems, among which the greenwashing behavior of construction enterprises is the more serious. The government needs to adopt some appropriate policies to prevent problems in GBs. This paper uses the evolutionary game theory to construct models and proposes four policy combinations: static reward and static punishment, static reward and dynamic punishment, dynamic reward and static punishment, dynamic reward and dynamic punishment. We compare the impact of four combinations on construction strategy and analyze the inner mechanisms of the behavior evolution of government departments and construction enterprises. Our results revealed no evolutionary stabilization strategy in the game system under the static reward and punishment policy. Under the combination of dynamic subsidies and static penalty policy, the green construction effect of construction enterprises is the best. Furthermore, dynamic reward policy has a more obvious restraining effect on construction enterprises. The government should dynamically adjust rewards and punishments according to the construction quality and determine the appropriate upper limit of rewards and punishments to improve the policies’ applicability and effectiveness. This study provides theoretical support for the healthy development of green buildings.

Can carbon reduction policies promote sustainable construction development? Evidence from China’s green building market

“…It covers all stages of planning, design, construction, operation and management, demolition, and recycling during that life span and establishes a whole-process building-management system [ 12 , 13 , 15 ]. Green buildings can reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the climate and natural environment in their design, construction, or operation [ 56 , 57 ] and thus have received widespread attention around the world.…”

Unraveling the Knowledge Roadmap of Building Policy Mixes: A Scientometric Analysis

“…The model incorporated three policy instruments, namely carbon taxation, solar technology subsidies, and energy efficiency renovation funds. Chen et al [48] employed evolutionary game theory to develop a model and investigated the effects of four policy combinations on construction strategies. Their study analyzed the inherent mechanisms of behavioral evolution for both government agencies and construction enterprises, providing insights into the interactions and dynamics between the two entities in the context of policy implementation.…”

Can Green Finance Drive the Development of the Green Building Industry?—Based on the Evolutionary Game Theory

“…Under government reward and punishment mechanisms, administrative measures have a significant impact on promoting green building development. Chen [45] and Meng [13] used a two-player evolutionary game model to study the intrinsic mechanisms of government and construction enterprise behavior evolution. The results indicated that the combination of dynamic subsidies and static penalties achieved the best outcomes for promoting green construction by enterprises.…”