Energy efficiency and thermal insulation code violations for residential buildings in Jordan and the role of social advocacy campaigns

• Published in: Energy for sustainable development 2022-12, Vol.71, p.419-432
• Main Authors: Abdel-Fattah, Ahmad, Hamdan, Sudki, Ayadi, Osama, Al-Khuraissat, Maysoon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: advocacy; Building codes; Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); compliance; Developing countries; energy conservation; Energy efficiency; humans; Infrared thermography; insulating materials; Jordan; Social advocacy; stakeholders; surveys; sustainable development; Thermal insulation; thermography
• ISSN: 0973-0826
• DOI: 10.1016/j.esd.2022.10.013

Compared to developed countries, developing countries' building codes are less enforceable for energy efficiency and minimum acceptable thermal insulation levels for building envelopes particularly. What leads to stronger compliance with such requirements is advancing not just policies, regulations, and enabling markets but also supportive non-governmental advocacy campaigns. The aim of such advocacies is raising awareness of overlooked energy-saving options in buildings and highlighting to policy-makers potential energy-efficiency and thermal-insulation codes' violations. This study presents a model research-based, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)-led advocacy supported by human rights defense-oriented tactics. It advocated for the overlooked right of the residents of Jordan in thermally-insulated housing and mitigating longtime walls' moisture, mold, thermal discomfort, and high energy bills. It is structured on a thoughtful, occupants-centered survey of 500 apartment buildings in the capital city, Amman. Aided by a ground-truthing Infrared thermography, we estimated the true percentage of the thermally-insulated units, which surprisingly amounted only 5.8 %, and documented evidence of high level of thermal-insulation code violation. Consequently, an investigative survey of roles and responsibilities of involved building sector's stakeholders, to identify root causes of code-enforcement failures, was systematically conducted. Based on findings of the two surveys, the social advocacy was launched to raise awareness and campaign for this violated “technical right”, targeting regulatory entities to enact the legal and procedural rectifications needed. Consequently, this science-based, SCOs-led advocacy induced legal changes in the building-codes' enforcement framework, which promotes involvement of SCOs in the national energy efficiency and sustainable development agenda. •A 500-developing country's flats survey showed only 5.8 % thermally insulated.•Absence of thermal insulation causes walls' moisture, mold, and thermal discomfort.•A research-based, society-led advocacy supports thermal insulation codes compliance.•An integrated framework of methodologies proved to be effective to attain sought outputs.•This work promotes civil society involvement in national energy efficiency plans.