Agyekum, K; Botchway, S Y; Adinyira, E and Opoku, A (2022) Environmental performance indicators for assessing sustainability of projects in the Ghanaian construction industry. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 11(4), pp. 918-950. ISSN 2046-6099
Abstract
Purpose: Recent reports based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have revealed that no country is in line with achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, with the slowest progress being witnessed mainly on goals that are focused on the environment. This study examines environmental performance indicators for assessing the sustainability of building projects. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. An extensive critical comparative review of the literature resulted in the identification of ten environmental sustainability indicators. One hundred and sixty-seven questionnaire responses based upon these indicators from the Ghanaian construction industry were received. Data were coded with SPSS v22, analysed descriptively, and via inferential analysis. These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with six interviewees who are fellows of their respective professional bodies, a senior academic (professor in construction project delivery) and a government official. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through the side-by-side comparison of the qualitative data with the quantitative data. Findings: The findings from the study suggest that all the indicators were important in assessing building projects' environmental sustainability across the entire life cycle. Key among the identified indicators is the effects of the project on “water quality, air quality, energy use and conservation, and environmental compliance and management”. The interviewees further agreed to and confirmed the importance of these identified indicators for assessing the environmental sustainability of building projects in Ghana. Originality/value: Compared to existing studies, this study adopts the exploratory sequential design to identify and examine the critical indicators in assessing the environmental sustainability across the entire lifecycle of building projects in a typical developing country setting, i.e. Ghana. It reveals areas of prime concern in the drive to place the local construction industry on a trajectory towards achieving environmental sustainability.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building projects; environmental sustainability; Ghana; sustainability assessment; sustainability indicators; sustainability performance; sustainable development goals |
| Index terms: | lifecycle, sustainable development goal, water quality, air quality, conservation, construction industry, energy use, environmental performance, sustainability performance, Ghana, life cycle, questionnaire, validation, methodology, environmental sustainability, sustainability indicator, compliance, developing country, interview, sustainability assessment, construction project delivery, sustainable development |
| Subjects: | occupational health, industry analysis, project controls, development economics, professional development, health safety and environment, Geography, sustainable design, research methods, sustainability assessment, project delivery, energy systems, environmental policy, climate science, value management, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Time Control, International Construction, Sustainability, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Project Management, Information Management, Health and Safety |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here