Examining barriers and measures to promote the adoption of green building practices in Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers inhibiting the adoption of green building and measures to promote this approach in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Barriers and measures were identified and examined by using a combination of research methods, including literature review, questionnaire survey, and in-depth interviews with the construction industry-related practitioners working in Pakistan. Ranking technique and factor analysis were used to identify the significant issues associated with the adoption of green building practices. Findings As per the survey results, the most critical barrier is “lack of awareness among people about the importance and advantages of adopting green building practices,” followed by “lack of incentives from government” and “lack of green building codes and regulations,” respectively. The results also indicate that most important measure to promote the adoption of green buildings is “creation of public awareness toward green initiatives through seminars, workshops, and discussions,” followed by “availability of green building codes and regulations (mandatory to apply)” and “financial incentives and penalties by the government (e.g. soft loan, tax) for promoting green building practices,” respectively. Research limitations/implications Research limitation is that its findings, other than Pakistan, cannot be generalized to other developing countries. Practical implications Findings of the research will be helpful in sensitizing the regulatory agencies, the policy makers, and the building construction practitioners about the barriers to adoption of green building practices. The suggested measures will help in devising policies and economic measures to promote the construction of green and environment-friendly buildings. Social implications This research will help the common people to know about the importance of green buildings that may lead to a deviation from the practice of traditional buildings to a widespread trend of building green buildings. This will lead to drastic reduction in demand for energy and considerable monetary savings for the common people. Originality/value The findings of this study are expected to contribute valuable information to decision makers for the better understanding of key issues that call for more attention in the promotion of efforts of green building practices in Pakistan. The results are based on the perception of local stakeholders, but might also be helpful for policy makers in other countries.

The Performance Gap in Energy-Efficient Office Buildings: How the Occupants Can Help?

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Conceptual Development of Cost Benefit Analysis based on Regional, Knowledge, and Economic Aspects of Green Building

“…Based on case study data in previous research, it was clear that green building investment was relatively unattractive to investors because of a high premium cost of green building implementation and uncertainty of the performance of the green building features. These features accelerated the payback period of investment because of lack of knowledge, and the most interesting element was the absence of external incentives in providing encouragement for and guarantee of new technological applications (Liu et al, 2014;Pikas et al, 2015;Azeem et al, 2017;Preciado-Pérez & Fotios, 2017). Therefore, CBA development in this research did not only result from the relationship between integrating green building aspects with the CBA and life cycle costs but also the green building incentive system.…”

Percepção De Profissionais Do Design De Interiores Sobre Materiais Sustentáveis

“…Além disso, o mesmo percentual de respondentes afirma que o tempo na fase de projeto é insuficiente para adquirir conhecimento sobre como aplicar e detalhar esses materiais. Akadiri (2015), Azeem et al (2017), Ghazilla et al (2015) e Maté (2009) justificam que a maioria dos profissionais de interiores, inclusive os que se veem proativos, demostram pouca confiança em seus próprios conhecimentos.…”

“…A falta de confiança em seus conhecimentos nessa área, tanto no presente estudo como nos trabalhos de Akadiri (2015), Azeem et al (2017), Ghazilla et al (2015) e Maté (2009) foi apontada como um dos pontoschave que justificou a sua não utilização. Agora, pela análise de associação entre as variáveis, percebe-se que quanto maior a autoavaliação do respondente em relação a sua familiaridade com MAP maior também foi a aplicação dos mesmos em seus projetos.…”