Challenges for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in the Danish construction industry: Building owners' perspective

The construction sector holds great potential and responsibility in achieving the United Nation’s 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). The aim of this study is to investigate how the SDGs can be implemented in construction projects in a Danish context, and which challenges professional building owners face working with the SDGs. An explorative focus group workshop was held with eight professional building owners, public and private, to investigate which aspects were important throughout the different phases for successful implementation, and which challenges they encounter. The building owners emphasized the importance of establishing a common ground among the involved actors early in the process, and that strong partnerships are essential throughout the process for successful implementation of the SDGs. The main challenges experienced were how to prioritize the SDGs and set measurable goals in the programming phase, and to ensure that these goals are met throughout the building’s life cycle. Furthermore, insufficient transfer of knowledge between actors throughout the phases of construction projects, and a lack of local indicators, were highlighted as challenges. A process model describing which aspects are important to consider throughout the different phases of a new building project for successful implementation of the SDGs, including the responsibilities among the involved actors, is proposed based on the results from the workshop. The results indicate that new methods and tools are needed to support professional building owners in implementing the SDGs in construction projects, especially in early prioritization of the SDGs.