Abstract

Author:
Nwodo Geoffey Ogbonna, Biose Ekene

Doi: 10.26480/efcc.01.2026.40.46

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

People have often attempted to address climate change in buildings by developing new technology, making systems more energy-efficient, and modifying the rules. Buildings’ environmental performance, however, is determined not only by technology, but also by how people act, how committed institutions are, and how well stakeholders collaborate. This study investigates how modifying behaviour and involving stakeholders in facility management might help make operational facilities more environmentally friendly. It believes that Facility Managers (FMs), who work at the intersection of building systems, consumers, and organisational processes, are uniquely positioned to translate climate goals into normal operational practices. Using a qualitative exploratory design informed by a critical analysis of academic, policy, and professional literature, the study employs the Behaviour Change Wheel, the COM-B model, Nudge theory, Social Norms theory, and the Theory of Planned Behaviour to elucidate the influence of climate-relevant behaviours within building environments. The review discusses several FM-led initiatives for improving building performance, including environmental feedback, default-based interventions, social norming, gamification, training, and performance-based communication. It also suggests that numerous groups of people must be involved in climate action for it to be effective, as different groups of individuals, such as tenants, senior management, contractors, digital teams, and sustainability units, all have an impact on the outcome in their own unique ways. According to the findings, behavioural and institutional concerns continue to be major causes of building performance disparities. Facility managers can assist people alter their behaviour, but their impact is usually limited by a lack of training, an excessive amount of work, insufficient institutional support, and a lack of use of people-centered metrics in performance management systems. According to the paper, behavioural change and stakeholder involvement are critical to achieving Net Zero targets in the built environment