Abstract:
1. Introduction
The construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of
environmental resources. Therefore, the industry presents greater risks to
the environment. The green building concept has acquired greater
attention in the recent past due to wider sustainability benefits. However,
the Sri Lankan construction industry showcases a very slow progress
towards integrating green building practices. Hence, this study aims to
identify the barriers and measures to overcome challenges, thereby
accelerating the integration of green building practices in the sector.
2. Research Methodology
Barriers and measures were identified through a comprehensive literature
review, in-depth interviews with four experts, and a questionnaire survey.
Factor analysis was employed to assess the significance of the barriers and
measures while ranking analysis highlighted key barriers in integrating
green building practices.
3. Findings and Discussion
Factor analysis revealed six categories of barriers: innovation-related,
resource-related, economic, governmental and social, technical, and
management barriers. The ranking analysis highlighted the most critical
measures for integrating green building practices, starting with the need
for an organizational framework to effectively implement green building
principles, followed by the importance of green building codes, easy access
to green building rating tools, comprehensive education and training
opportunities, pressure from internal and external stakeholders, and
organizational confidence in the long-term benefits.
4. Conclusion and Implications
The study presents a comprehensive list of barriers that should be
overcome to accelerate the integration of green building practices. It is
recommended to establish strong frameworks, accessible rating tools,
promoting education and stakeholder engagement to build confidence to
enable fast integration.
