Taxonomins påverkan på privata fastighetsägare. En utvärdering huruvida EU:s taxonomi skapar incitament för privata fastighetsägare att göra hållbara investeringar

Abstract

Together, the construction and real estate sector accounts for a significant part of the domestic greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden. Consequently, it is of great importance to increase sustainable investments in the sector to minimize emissions. Hence, EU introduces a regulation, the EU taxonomy, regarding the classification of economic activities that affect the real estate sector, which intends to increase transparency within sustainable reporting and to direct capital flows in a more sustainable direction. Therefore, this study intends to evaluate whether the taxonomy leads to increased incentives for sustainable investments for private property owners. Consequently, the study aims to examine the shortcomings and strengths of the taxonomy, what measures private property owners have taken or will implement as a result of the taxonomy, and how the taxonomy can be changed to increase the incentives for sustainable investments. Thus, a qualitative study has been conducted, where primarily property owners have been included. The study shows that taxonomy is an appreciated initiative, but with some flaws which needs to be addressed to achieve the desired effect. Several criteria in the taxonomy are unclear and there is an incorrect focus in the current design. Furthermore, property owners believe that the interest in investing sustainable has not increased significantly alongside with the announcement of the taxonomy, even though the will to make sustainable investments has been around for a long time. However, they believe that the share of sustainable investments will potentially increase in the future, when shortcomings have been remedied and the regulation clarified, but mainly in other parts of EU where the sustainable aspect has had less focus than in Sweden. Thus, further development of the taxonomy is required for it to fulfill its purpose completely.