Towards sustainable construction: promotion and best practices

TLDR

Sustainable development is integral to business operations and affects all aspects of life. The study aims to identify factors that promote or hinder sustainable construction practices and assess how sustainability is measured, providing insight into industry demand and supply implications. The authors conducted a literature review and surveyed building surveying professionals to identify drivers, barriers, measures, and benchmarks for sustainable construction. Findings indicate that fiscal incentives and regulations drive sustainable construction, but affordability remains the biggest barrier, and while the industry acknowledges sustainability, further action is needed.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand what factors best promote or prevent sustainable construction practices and establish the consistency of how sustainability is measured. Design/methodology/approach A literature review considered the impact of the industry to sustainability and identified what action and initiatives are already in place. Through this, the main drivers, barriers, measures and benchmarks were identified. The opinions of building surveying professionals were sought and analysed. Findings The paper suggested that fiscal incentives/penalties and regulations help to drive sustainable construction. Such financial implications are consistent with “affordability” being the biggest barrier highlighted. The majority of respondents believed the industry is taking some account of sustainability issues, but identified that more needs to be done. Originality/value Sustainable development is an integral part of the lives and affects all aspects of business operations. This paper provides an in‐depth insight into the level of sustainable development within the construction industry, identifying implications for both the demand and supply side.