Softening-up persistently stubborn institutional stances in net zero change environments

The decarbonization of the built environment remains a strategically important net zero pathway. Relative to other net zero pathways the built environment persistently lags behind. To address this problem, we use the theoretical lens of institutional stance to enrich the understanding of the cognitive-cultural foundations of institutions, in particular how entrusted institutional members hold, reflect and assert specific stances towards decarbonization of the built environment. In this institutional stance analysis, we identify three institutional change practices of nudging, tugging and mooring for softening-up persistently stubborn stances in the pursuit of net zero goals. The findings point to mooring mechanisms which permit institutional members to ‘step out’ via temporal institutional respites, and subsequently reconciling these stances through the practice of satisficing, technology cycling and contrasting. Finally, conclusions and practical implications are presented for softening-up persistently stubborn stances in prolongated net zero change environments.