Investigating the potential for reduced emissions from non-road mobile machinery in construction activities through disruptive innovation

The construction industry relies heavily on non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) for transportation and earthmoving operations, and it is therefore important, from a sustainable perspective, to reduce emissions from NRMM in construction activities. This paper analyses the European emission inventory to find out if technological development has lowered the environmental impact of NRMM over time, with a focus on local, regional and global air emissions. The findings suggest that current regulations have been successful in reducing local and regional emissions (PM2.5 and NOX) by sequentially imposing more stringent requirements, which has promoted incremental innovations in existing technology. However, global emissions in terms of greenhouse gases have not been reduced due to the present regulations. The results are analysed and interpreted using Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovations for technological change to assess whether the development appears to progress incrementally or if the data point towards a required technology shift. Currently, the signal of a broad technology shift towards zero-emission solutions is not evident, but at the niche level activities are progressing with new technology. This paper proposes that a shift will require not only a technical transition, but also a sociotechnical change, involving stakeholders acting in symbiosis.