Qian, J.; Siriwardana, C.; Shahzad, W. M. and Gunasekara, C. (2026) Integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into public sector construction procurement: A New Zealand case analysis of evaluation weightings and criteria. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 44(5), pp. 1167-1190. ISSN 2398-4708
Abstract
Purpose – This study examines how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are embedded in public sector construction procurement in New Zealand. It aims to evaluate the extent to which ESG considerations are integrated into contractor selection and how these reflect local policy priorities. Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis was conducted on 102 publicly issued requests for proposals (RFPs) to assess the inclusion, weighting and thematic distribution of ESG-related evaluation criteria. The results were compared with international literature to highlight contextual differences. Findings – ESG criteria were explicitly weighted in 45% of RFPs, typically between 1 and 20%, while 8% included them as unweighted considerations. The remaining 47% did not include any discernible ESG criteria. Commercial and heavy civil projects showed higher rates of ESG inclusion, while institutional and residential sectors lagged. Social outcomes, particularly workforce training, Maori and Pasifika inclusion and community well-being, received greater emphasis than environmental or governance criteria. The study also found that larger projects were more likely to include sustainability considerations, although the level of weighting was consistent across project sizes. Originality/value – This research systematically evaluates ESG integration in New Zealand's public sector construction procurement at scale. It reveals a socially driven procurement model shaped by national policy and demographic priorities and highlights the need for more consistent application of ESG criteria across project types and scales.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | content analysis; contractor selection; ESG; New Zealand construction; public sector procurement; sustainability evaluation |
| Index terms: | proposal, New Zealand, integration, contractor selection, national policy, public sector procurement, construction procurement, public sector, well-being, governance, methodology, content analysis |
| Subjects: | research methods, organizational analysis, public policy, Geography, contractual arrangements, data analysis and analytics, business, tendering, administrative law, project planning, mental health and wellbeing |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Health and Safety, Procurement, Legal Issues, Governance, Project Management, Research Practice, Geographical Context |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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