Sustainability in the Built Environment: Are We Doing Enough?

Abstract

Sustainability is one of the key requirements for any business; however, there exist gaps in recognizing and aligning these sustainable practices with everyday operational activities. With this in mind, this study aims to explore the current awareness level in business leaders and stakeholders about corporate responsibility towards sustainability and reflects on the obstacles encountered by them in diverse built environments, laying the groundwork for addressing these hurdles and contributing towards the overall sustainable development. The study uses a thematic approach to analyzing data with the help of NVIVO12 software. The major findings include Energy Auditing process - not carried out frequently; both sustainability and profitability go hand in hand; absence of technology such as AI and Sensor technology has contributed to the built environment's energy performance gap; there is a knowledge gap that exists among business leaders in understanding the concept of sustainable development.