Guest editorial: Construction industry as net-zero enabler: driving circular economy and sustainability through innovation/change management

Citation

Ramanayaka, C.E., Olatunji, O.A., Rahnamayiezekavat, P. and Siriwardana, C. (2024), "Guest editorial: Construction industry as net-zero enabler: driving circular economy and sustainability through innovation/change management", Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 677-681. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-09-2024-249

This special issue aims to trigger serious debates about how innovation and change management could assist various stakeholders of the built environment toward upholding circular economy (CE) principles and sustainability strategies. The grand challenge is to achieve net-zero targets. CE is expected to rise globally to $4.5 trillion by 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2019), and there are seamless commercial opportunities in this domain. Nevertheless, most construction businesses are still driven by traditional linear business models (Kaklauskas et al., 2020; Treptow et al., 2022). Further, recent growth in global aspirations towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) calls for significant change in traditional business models in all sectors of the economy. This is critical as all stakeholders align to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives (Cambridge University, 2023). A drawback for the construction industry in this is that the construction sector is overly driven by an appetite for profit and an insatiable appetite to consume resources.

Therefore, this special issue provides pointers to the construction industry on how to rediscover itself and overcome its seeming traditional resistance to changes brought about by CE and sustainability principles. It is difficult for the built environment stakeholders to uptake the opportunities that come with these changes without embracing the changes themselves. Whereas this special issue provokes insights toward generating impactful solutions that would bring economic benefits to the built environment stakeholders, its broader goal was to simultaneously promote the commitment of built environment industries towards achieving the mutually beneficial objectives of applicable ESGs and SDGs. This is a timely need in a world influenced heavily by the changing priorities of millennials and a Generation Z population.

Global partnerships are vital to achieve the ESG and SDG objectives. Thus, it is vital to understand the diverse challenges faced by various built environment stakeholders across the world. For example, Europe has pioneered global efforts toward net-zero targets. However, there are unresolved challenges requiring innovative solutions, particularly within the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) sector. Such shortfalls cannot be less in other parts of the world where CE and SDGs have only attracted minimal commitments. Therefore, this special issue has provided an opportunity for scholars to research and help develop CE and sustainability strategies from multiple lenses, including the contexts of developing nations where rapid development is a must to enhance economic prosperity and a higher human development index (HDI).

There is hope for a circular construction economy as disruptive technologies become commonplace. In particular, Internet of Things (IoT) and building information modeling (BIM) have been espoused to support CE protocols and practices (Abbasnejad et al., 2021; Rahnamayiezekavat et al., 2022; Ramanayaka et al., 2022). The challenge is that their widespread adoption is still slow, daunting and incipient. While recent advances in standardization of technologies have shown the potential to transform the construction industry – e.g. the deployment of ISO 19650, the international standard for digitizing and managing information about construction projects – there is limited awareness among academics and professionals of the practicality of disruptive technologies and infrastructures that support their deployment (Olatunji et al., 2021; Ramanayaka et al., 2022). On the other hand, these developments are generic. Therefore, another objective was to evaluate their appropriateness in the context of a circular construction economy.

Themed issues of some journals have triggered interest in this subject to varying extents. However, the potential impact appears constrained by common silo-like perspectives. This special issue brings multiple perspectives and applications of circular construction economy under one umbrella with a well-defined focus. Thus, it generates and pollinates synergies across various shades of scholarly and technical opinions on the circular construction economy. It serves as a timely platform that the construction industry requires now to deliver novel solutions that deepen its capacity for a greater future through CE and sustainability.

Explanatory research is inadequate to fulfill this need (Holmström et al., 2009; Ramanayaka et al., 2022; Zhang and Van Burg, 2020). Thus, one of the main objectives of this special issue was to invite original contributions, including and not limited to studies that report alternative exploratory methodologies, which deepen theoretical and technical knowledge about CE and sustainability strategies. Of interest are industry-level applications that are relevant to address challenges and gaps on a global scale. This special issue therefore addresses relevant interfacing areas and critical shortfalls therein.

The first paper of the special issue is from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and promotes embodied water saving and hence sustainable water management in the residential construction sector of the UAE. While there is a large literature on operational water management of buildings, initial and recurrent embodied water management has been given little to no attention. Therefore, Rauf et al. employed a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach to analyze initial embodied water during the construction stage and an input–output-based hybrid analysis to evaluate recurrent embodied water consumption for maintenance activities during the operational stage. As embodied water represents 70% of the total water demand of a typical residential building in the UAE, this study encourages building designers and contractors to use alternative materials in lieu of “water-hungry” construction materials (for example, concrete as well as steel) or find strategies to minimize their initial embodied water. Further, finishes contribute to a large portion of recurrent embodied water; it is vital to enhance their longevity. This study calls for partnership between academia, industry and governments to achieve ESG and SDG objectives by establishing policies that promote the use of construction materials with low embodied water footprints.

The second paper is from Sri Lanka, which also discusses the use of alternative construction methods in order to enhance sustainability in buildings. The study argues green walls have immense possibilities to promote ESG objectives, but the majority of built environment stakeholders prefer conventional wall construction. Madushika and Ramachandra argue a cost and energy performance comparison may change industry’s attitudes and behavioral intention to use green wall constructions. The study was carried out in two stages: firstly, thermal performance of conventional and green wall construction was measured using onsite temperature measurements, and secondly, life cycle cost (LCC) was calculated for each construction method and compared. They find green walls reduce cooling energy demand of buildings in tropical climates and a significant reduction in maintenance cost. The study argues that the greater initial cost of green wall construction could still negatively influence stakeholder’s behavioral intention to use it. As initial capital cost could dominate decision-making in many countries compared to asset operations and maintenance costs, they recommend that the industry be encouraged to perceive building performance from both project and asset management perspectives.

While emphasizing the central role of LCC to sustainable decision-making in the asset management stage, the third paper proposes a reference architecture-based approach to LCC analysis at a scale. Regardless of widespread adoption of LCC across many industries, its uptake is limited in the built environment, mainly due to a generalization problem. To address this challenge, Shaw et al. brought the merits of both exploratory and explanatory research through a custom design science research-inspired methodology to create a novel LCC analysis solution, refined the initial solution and validated it using theory building research. The suitability of addressing the scalability challenge using the reference architecture-based approach is substantiated. The study further emphasizes directions for future research necessary to broaden the applicability of the LCC solution that the study suggests. Their reference architecture-based approach is appropriate for asset managers to realize more ambitious net-zero emissions targets that align with political aspirations in many parts of Europe.

Using an explanatory study in Ghana, the fourth study brings industry perspectives on how the Ghanaian built environment stakeholders prioritize CE principles through R-frameworks. With “reduce” as the most effective CE principle, the practicalities of these R-frameworks are largely governed by socio-economic and political factors. Thus, to evaluate this hierarchical preference in Ghana, Agyekum et al. employed a questionnaire survey (N = 162) and semi-structured interviews (N = 8), analyzed via one-sample t-test and content analysis, respectively. As opposed to the well-established generic hierarchy, Agyekum et al. find that recycle, reuse and repair/remanufacture are at the top of the ladder, and “reduce” is the least preferred among the six R-principles considered. To make a significant difference in the current industry perceptions, it is found interventions must go beyond merely increasing individuals’ awareness of the R-principles.

The fifth study is from the United States of America (USA). It also sees circularity, but in the context of “reusing” waste wind turbine blades. Wind energy is undoubtedly a major source of clean energy. However, decommissioned wind turbines have negative environmental impacts, particularly due to their composite material structure that prevents them from being recycled. To find a solution to this, Kio and Anumba integrated CE and pedagogy in a state-of-the-art manner. As recycling was not an option, architectural engineering students undertook a coursework component where innovative architectural reuse methodology was the core of creative reuse of wind turbine blades as building elements. Aligned with the common beliefs of the R-framework’s hierarchy, the quantitative analysis illustrated how creative reuse had positive impacts when compared to conventional recycling. Beyond preserving structural integrity, reuse of wind turbines assists in achieving net-zero emissions by reducing the carbon dioxide equivalents. In addition, the coursework component became a means of enhancing student enthusiasm and awareness of CE principles.

Closely aligned with the fourth and fifth studies, our next research paper evaluates the impacts of green construction procurement practices (GCPPs) on CE success in the Ghanian context. To promote circularity through GCPP, Kwasafo et al. launched a questionnaire survey from which responses from 100 procurement practitioners were analyzed for hypothesis verification and falsification using statistical techniques such as one-sample t-test and regression analysis. Whereas GCPP explains 12.8% of variance of CE success in Ghana, the study suggests the most preferred GCPPs. They include on-site systematic waste management, project stakeholders’ commitment and support for green practices and environmental requirements in technical specifications. The findings articulate the importance of policymaking to support GCPPs, particularly in public infrastructure projects.

The seventh study evaluates innovative green construction (IGC) adoption using a modified theory of planned behavior (TBA). While green construction methods are advocated widely, their adoption in the construction industry is largely governed by the designers; therefore, Addy et al. investigate attributes that influence architects’ attitudes, behavioral intention and actual adoption of IGC methods. The data obtained from 61 architects were analyzed via partial least squares method. The outcomes indicate that behavioral intention to adopt IGCs has no statistically significant influence toward actual adoption. However, they found behavioral control governs the actual adoption of IGCs. Therefore, it is vital that designers have confidence in their control over IGC adoption. To assist this, Addy et al. highlight the importance of access to the right information and knowledge and funding sources for skill development. In summary, this research emphasizes the role of behavioral changes required in the context of ecological development.

The last study of this special issue focuses on smart cities. Domingos et al. explain how sustainability and artificial intelligence are evolving concepts of smart cities developments. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Resilience and Recovery Plan intends to employ advanced technologies such as sensors, blockchain and big data to improve economic, social and environmental sustainability in smart cities. Regardless of these inspirations, Domingos et al. find that extant smart cities literature is insufficient in terms of an interdisciplinary approach to integrate expertise from multiple knowledge domains. They argue that the long-term performance and adaptability of smart cities are also questionable. As a solution, the authors established a novel smart building assessment framework in the context of smart cities. The initial phase was a systematic literature review to understand the two key concepts of this research – “Smart City” and “Smart Building” – including bibliographic research on the role of public policies to further enhance the performance of smart cities. Then, the authors integrated an existing smart cities assessment framework with the outcomes of the bibliographic research methodologically to propose the initial version of the new assessment framework. Validated and refined after focus group interviews with field experts, the new framework suggests specific dimensions and sub-dimensions to assess the performance of smart cities while also providing a basis for strategy and policy developments to enhance their viability.

In conclusion, apart from the specific contributions of each paper, the synergies of presenting them together in this special issue can have a very special impact with wider implications too. For example, the implications of this collection draw insights for teaching and learning, policy development and science and industry, in collective theory-building, dissemination and further empirical research. As contributions have come from Africa, America, Asia and Europe, we are pleased to claim that this themed issue provides a broad-based platform that is scalable for international impact. Finally, we appreciate the authors for their fabulous contributions, the selfless reviewers and editorial team for their efforts and everyone who has contributed to the success of this issue.