The Green Building Policy Puzzle: A Stakeholder-Informed Multistage Fuzzy Framework for Incentive Evaluation

Green buildings (GBs) are increasingly recognized for their role in promoting sustainable development and reducing environmental footprints. Incentive policies (IPs) are essential for driving GB adoption; yet, comprehensive frameworks for evaluating their effectiveness remain scarce. This study proposes a multistage fuzzy expert-based framework to assess IPs, grounded in stakeholder theory (ST), to ensure alignment with stakeholder priorities across the GB life cycle. The framework consists of four analytical stages: identification of six main objectives and 42 IPs through literature review, screening of IPs using the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), prioritization via fuzzy preference relations (FPRs), and evaluation of key incentive policies (KIPs) using intuitionistic fuzzy set theory (IFST). Applied to a case study in Iran, the model identified critical KIPs, evaluated their effectiveness over a targeted period, and validated findings through sensitivity analysis (SA) and comparison with other fuzzy multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. This study offers a structured, stakeholder-informed framework for policy evaluation, highlighting the need for integrated strategies combining financial incentives, regulatory support, and stakeholder engagement to advance GB adoption.