Adoption of Green Building Guidelines in Developing Countries Based on U.S. and India Experiences

Abstract

In the wake of sustainable construction entering the mainstream, many developing countries are either currently pursuing green building guidelines or are planning to pursue them in the near future. This research attempts to formulate an implementation strategy for the rapid adoption of these guidelines for the developing nations. This implementation strategy is based on the detailed review of the major green building guidelines globally and contextual information of Indian society collected through a survey questionnaire. The proposed strategy shows that it is important for green building initiatives to identify: the organizations that accelerate the adoption of green building guidelines in a society, the incentives and barriers associated with the green building guidelines, and the necessary motivations for the adopter organizations. An informed approach in the form of this implementation strategy might potentially contribute to the acceleration of green building guidelines' adoption in developing countries.

Strategies for Promoting Green Building Technologies Adoption in the Construction Industry—An International Study

“…Due to the high initial investment, stakeholders who have adequate, accurate, and better information about and knowledge of the attendant lifecycle benefits of adopting GBTs are most likely to adopt GBTs. This finding is consistent with the study done by Potbhare et al [24] where the availability of better information on cost and benefits of green building guidelines was identified as one of the top two strategies for catalyzing the adoption of green building guidelines in India. This promotion strategy is highly associated with the conduct of GBTs research and information sharing, which could be an explanation for why "a strengthened GBTs research and communication" (P12) (mean = 3.96) was ranked fifth.…”

“…As developers, contractors, and policy makers are major players in the adoption of GBTs, it is considered that organizing educational programs to increase knowledge and awareness among them is essential to drive the adoption of GBTs. A similar situation was also identified by Potbhare et al [24] where educational programs for developers, contractors, and policy makers related to green building guidelines was an important strategy for promoting green building guidelines adoption. Chan et al [30] also pointed out that education and awareness champions are always the welcome means for continuous promotion of a green building market, and the task could be shared between industry associations and governmental and non-governmental organizations.…”

“…Potbhare et al [24] pointed out that availability of better information on cost and benefits of green building guidelines, availability of institutional framework for effective implementation of green building guidelines, educational programs for developers, contractors, and policy makers related to green building guidelines, and creation of environmental awareness by workshops, seminars, and conferences were crucial strategies for promoting the rapid adoption of green building guidelines. To foster the adoption and development of green buildings, Li et al [25] contended that it is critical to enhance the environmental awareness of stakeholders, strengthen technology research and communication, and formulate relevant policies and regulations.…”

Architectural Professionals’ Needs and Preferences for Sustainable Building Guidelines in Korea

“…Even though there are a growing number of sustainable building guidelines all over the world [15][16][17], this study focuses on guidelines developed in North America, Europe, and Oceania due to the limitation of language. The search for guidelines is focused especially on those developed by public sectors since the result of this study will be used to establish the developmental direction and strategies of sustainable building guidelines for the public sector.…”

Green Building Guidelines at South African Universities

“…A critical analysis of existing cases of green building guidelines in Hong Kong by Lam,Chan, Chau, and Poon [3]; in India by Potbhare [7]; in North America by WBGC [8]; in China by Tan [9], and in Australia by the Green Building Council Australia [10], show a comparison of these international green building guidelines. Table II shows a comparison of the international green building guidelines.…”