Challenges to sustainable transitions: systemic barriers to end-user engagement in residential green retrofit projects

Purpose This study investigates the systemic barriers that limit effective end-user engagement in residential green retrofit projects (RGRPs), framing them as critical constraints for achieving sustainability transitions in the housing sector. Design/methodology/approach Guided by socio-technical systems (STS) theory, the research applies a grounded theory approach to identify 28 potential barriers across technological, user-side, institutional and governance, market and economic and cultural and normative dimensions, refined to 20 through expert evaluation. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was then used to map hierarchical relationships, and matrix of cross-impact multiplications applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis was applied to classify the factors according to their driving and dependence powers. Findings The results reveal that deeply embedded institutional and technical drivers, such as excessive technical complexity, poor inter-organizational coordination and unclear stakeholder responsibilities, are the root causes of disengagement. In contrast, user-side constraints such as affordability, time burden and reluctance toward externally initiated plans are dependent outcomes. Mid-level factors, including weak communication, insufficient knowledge and lack of participatory mechanisms, act as transmission channels linking systemic deficiencies to resident disengagement. MICMAC highlights the strategic role of structural drivers as dominant influences and highlights communicative and informational deficits as unstable linkages that shape system-wide effects. Originality/value This study provides a systemic framework that clarifies interdependencies among barriers, offering project managers and policymakers actionable insights to improve governance, communication and resident engagement in sustainable housing retrofits.