International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: G S P Gunasekara
Abstract: The construction sector has a great impact on global economic growth, and at the same time, it has led to a high rate of environmental degradation, as it consumes about a quarter of the world's energy and nearly a third of the emissions of greenhouse gases. Although there is an ever-growing global concern regarding sustainability and green building technologies (GBTs), the use of GBTs is still unsustainable and incoherent. This study builds upon a well-developed conceptual framework to expedite the application of the green building concepts in the Sri Lankan construction industry by determining and incorporating key barriers, drivers, and enablers. The study will use a sequential exploratory design, which involves using qualitative data such as semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions, and then quantifying the data using structured questionnaires given to 150-200 construction industry practitioners. The study has been conducted with reference to four main aims, namely determining the barriers to the adoption of GBT, studying the driving forces and enablers, working out the integrated conceptual framework, and strategic policy, technology, and stakeholder engagement recommendations. The results indicate that barriers to adoption are high initial costs, poor technical knowledge, poor regulatory compliance, and poor stakeholder coordination, whereas the enablers are: financial incentives, capacity building programs, technological readiness, and enabling policy environments. The suggested framework provides a systematic guide to decision-makers, construction professionals, and regulators to address issues of implementation and to achieve national development objectives in accordance with international climate obligations.
