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

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.

Contested Construction of Green Building Codes in North America: The Case of the Alley Flat Initiative

Building codes are both an index of social values and a strategy to enforce those values. On these grounds an examination is made of the emergence of green building codes in North America as a category of building codes that is particularly important for sustainable development. The classical definition of sustainability proposes that multiple, competing frames of interpretation—economic development, environmental protection and social equity—can, in theory, be balanced. It is found, however, that in practice equity is generally ignored. Through historical and theoretical investigation, it is hypothesised that codes which are successful in incorporating equity as a criterion emerge from public talk and social learning, not abstract speculation. The paper concludes by articulating a change-oriented research design for an ongoing project to test this hypothesis.