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Green buildings have proven to be essential contributors to the sustainability of buildings in the construction industry. However, in developing economies, the rate of green building adoption is slow. Moreover, the factors linked to a relatively slow adoption rarely feature in the literature. This study seeks to bridge the gap by first exploring factors influencing the adoption of green buildings. Second, analysing strategies and preferences determining the adoption of green building principles and lastly, exploring case-based opportunities for their adoption in Tanzania.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from twelve key informants. The qualitative data were analysed using content analysis.

The findings indicate that the most influential factors in green building adoption are related to key organizational decisions. Moreover, social and environmental factors are more related to green building adoption than economic factors. In addition, energy and water efficiency are the most commonly adopted sustainability features, while certified materials, recycling and reusing are rarely implemented.

Since green building adoption is still in its infancy, this study informs policymakers, professional bodies, developers, and researchers of the empirically supported factors for green building adoption. The conclusions can be amplified within the sustainability movement.

This study provides an in-depth understanding of the precursors of green building adoption, which is increasingly becoming a paradigm shift in the construction sector. The study is the first to present an in-depth analysis of the real-life factors influencing the adoption of green buildings in Tanzania.

The purpose of the study is to mainstream the disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster resilience measures into the GreenSL® building rating system in Sri Lanka to demonstrate a more holistic approach in achieving sustainability with resilience.

First, a comprehensive literature review was carried out on green building practices and rating tools, natural hazards and DRR and global and local frameworks. Next, criteria were developed incorporating the disaster resilience aspects through eight expert committee meetings and included the rating tool in three levels. Finally, 11 green-certified buildings from the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka were reevaluated using the new disaster resilient GREENSL® rating system for built environment as a validation for the new tool and to analyze the new certification levels.

All the green-certified buildings in hazard-prone areas dropped their certification by one level while the buildings in nonhazard-prone areas remained in the certification after being evaluated by the new DRR-incorporated rating system, which recommends the use of new tool for the buildings in hazard-prone areas. But due to the rapid changes in climate and the unpredictable trends of natural hazards, the use of new DRR incorporated GREENSL® rating system for built environment for the certification of buildings is highly endorsed.

This is the first research study based on the GREENSL rating system. And it is the first effort to incorporate DRR aspects to any rating tool in Sri Lanka. The projects that were evaluated for the validation of the new tool are the actual projects which obtained green building certification. Also, it is apparent that this study has gone some way towards enhancing the understanding of blending the sustainability and resilience in rating systems for built environment.

The research investigates valuers' understanding of the value of sustainability in property and its' consideration in valuation practice in Australia. This paper explores valuers' perceptions of the relationships between sustainability and market values, sustainability and valuation variables, and the value influence of industry sustainability certification schemes. Further, this paper tracks prevalence of certified buildings in Australian commercial markets and the evolution of valuers' knowledge of sustainability certifications used in Australia.

This paper reports on the next rendition of a longitudinal study examining valuers’ practice in Australia. This research explores the evolution of Australian valuers' perception and knowledge of sustainability in valuation practice. The survey data has been periodically collected from practising valuers from 2007 to 2021. The survey questions investigate valuers' knowledge development, understanding, reporting and consideration of the relationship between sustainability and market value.

The results have identified the evolution of the influence of normative research on valuers' perceptions of the relationship between sustainability and value; with a clearer understanding emerging over time of where the value relationships are identified in valuation variables. Greater alignment between empirical Australian studies and valuers' perceptions of the influence of sustainability ratings on value, demonstrate the value connection for higher rated buildings under NABERS (energy rating) and Green Star. Whilst only 41% of the study's participants are including sustainability in their valuation reports, they include a higher level of commentary on building descriptions and initiatives, building ratings, and reporting of owner and tenant objectives, than in previous studies. Knowledge development relating to sustainability certification tool, NABERS was identified. This is likely linked to the introduction of mandatory disclosure legislation. This has also led to increased awareness and valuers' knowledge of the differences between the two key rating tools used in Australia.

The research has several limitations: firstly, recruitment of valuers and the number of valuers' responses has varied over time; secondly, due to collection methods respondents have a greater likelihood of having an interest in and knowledge of sustainability creating potential for positive bias; thirdly, respondents may have responded to the survey in different years, but due to anonymity there has been no ability to track this. The results provide insights into the Australian valuation profession but may not be fully representative of the profession overall in Australia.

The broader agenda of net zero, climate change, mitigation and carbon requirements, whether driven by market forces or government legislation, are generating changes in property markets as investors' reconsider their positions and model the implications of carbon emissions on their bottom lines. Introductions of policy and legislation over time in the Australian context have led to changes in valuation practice and increasing consideration of energy efficiency and ratings in the valuation of assets. However, further guidance and research still is required in Australia to assist in the knowledge development of valuers, and their ability to consider the emerging effects of sustainability, net zero and other market driven objectives including legislation, and how these may affect or influence their evaluation of market evidence and thus property values.

The research has tracked valuers' understanding, knowledge, and consideration of sustainability and energy efficiency in valuation practice since 2007. In that time the research has found that, as the market has evolved and more rated buildings are built (or retrofitted), so too has valuers' knowledge and consideration in valuation practices evolved. Valuers are more engaged with industry rating tools such as NABERS. This suggests that the Australian mandatory disclosure policies have contributed to changes in the market, which are then interpreted by valuers and reflected in their perceptions and consideration of energy ratings in valuation practice.

Research studies related to sustainability and green building have made monumental contributions to the concept of sustainable construction (SC) in Nigeria. This paper therefore aims to present a historical review of the development of SC in Nigeria over a 10 year period. The review also provides constructive perspective on the benefits of SC and the present state of enforcement of green building in Nigeria.

A historical review strategy was applied to the study. Using secondary data sources, 47 influential journals from emerald, scopus and science direct database focusing on “SC”, “sustainability” and “green building” in Nigeria between 2012 and 2022 were used for the analysis.

The analysis deduced that the development of SC in Nigeria have undergone a triple period of development: the inception period (2012–2016), the transition period (2016–2020) and the advancement period (2020–present). The review juxtaposes the three timeline to show rapid growth in the awareness of SC, but revealed moderate levels of implementation in some major cities in Nigeria. Therefore, the author finds and argues that the advancement of SC in Nigeria can be achieved through the synergy, commitment and active roles of researchers, academics, practitioners, policy makers and the government in enforcing existing green policies.

The study is the first academic paper to undertake a decade long historical review of SC in Nigeria. This review provides an up-to-date understanding of the developments, changing dynamics and future progressions in the field of SC in Nigeria.

The main goal of this study was to determine how students at Ho Technical University (HTU) viewed green construction approaches and the benefits green buildings may provide to Ghana's tertiary institutions to enhance quality of life.

The institution's 350 participants were chosen using a random selection method. A standardised questionnaire was used to gather data, which was analysed using SPSS v.20 and presented in tables using descriptive statistics such as Likert scale analysis, weighted mean and relative importance index (RII).

The study revealed that awareness of the green building principle is comparatively low amongst the survey participants. Participants agree that the University's green building adoption is high. Students cited decreased utility expenses, improved occupant productivity and cheaper operational costs as important benefits of green construction. Students' thoughts on hurdles to implementing green construction ideas at the University were the enormous price tag of green building technology (RII = 0.89), ignorance of demonstration projects and ignorance of information on green building principles (RII = 0.81).

This is one of the first papers to study Ghanaian students' views on green buildings. This study adds to our understanding of students' thoughts on green building ideas. In addition, it sheds insight into their present awareness, which can help the university administration in Ghana design new paths for green building implementation.

This study aims to build on a contextualised approach for revealing the particularities of social sustainability indicators on the building scale within the particular context of Jordan, focusing on the buildings of the Dahiyat Al Hussein suburb.

This study relied on a review of the relevant previous research as well as global, regional and local rating tools, followed by working with a diversified participant base comprising experts as well as users through Delphi rounds and analytic hierarchy process-based assessments.

This study resulted in several key indicators that were classified into three main categories: environmental friendliness, comfort and convenience and social blend. It resembled a step on the path towards the standardisation of context-specific social sustainability indicators, an effort that would be further supported by future research addressing other development within Jordan.

The sustainability debate has, for long, acquired the undivided attention of its key stakeholders. With the continuous rise of global attention, the conceptualisation of sustainability has grown more specialised in both function and scale, and sustainable measures have been developed at the macro and micro levels. With the further spread of the concept, recognition of its contextual differences between various countries became more vivid, where the social dimension attains particular importance.

This paper improves the evaluation index system of green building operation effect and establishes the evaluation model of green building operation effect. It is expected to promote energy saving and emission reduction and provide a more scientific evaluation method for green building operation effect evaluation.

First, 20 key evaluation indexes are selected to establish the operation effective evaluation index system. Then, the combined weight method is proposed to determine the weight of each evaluation index. Next, the gray clustering-fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method is used to construct the green building operation effective evaluation model. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the selected model were verified by taking Shenzhen Bay One green building in Shenzhen as an example.

This paper establishes the evaluation system of green building operational effect, and evaluates green building from the angle of operational effect. Taking Shenzhen Bay One project as an example, the rationality and applicability of the model are verified.

In this paper, for the first time, relevant indexes of user experience are included in the evaluation system of green building operational effect, which makes the evaluation system more perfect. In addition, a more scientific fuzzy gray clustering method is used to evaluate the operational effect of green building, and a new evaluation model is established.

Contractor selection is critical in green buildings (GBs) since the preferred contractor has the responsibility to achieve construction sustainability as well as relationship sustainability. The developer satisfaction reflecting requirements can boost the cooperative relationship among stakeholders and act as an evaluation scale for the success of GB projects, which needs to be emphasized in the selection process but little involved in the existing research. This study explores improving GB contractor (GBC) selection by integrating developer satisfaction into selection procedures.

A systematic framework of GBC selection including twenty-five criteria from literature review and experts survey is firstly constructed. Both tactical and strategic criteria are further classified into Kano categories (must-be, one-dimensional, and attractive categories) using the fuzzy Kano model (FKM), and weighted by the developer satisfaction index. The model proposed by this study combining FKM and TOPSIS divides the selection process into the filtration phase and selection phase by Kano categories. The proposed model is finally verified through performance comparison among multiple methods in a case.

Selection criteria are measured linearly and nonlinearly, showing criteria having nonlinear satisfaction change accounts for two-thirds of all. Criteria at tactical level tend to be must-be or one-dimensional categories for the developer, and most strategic criteria are classed as the attractive category, indicating that adding strategic criteria is necessary for long-term cooperation. The proposed model, using developer satisfaction to improve the selection process, ensures the selected GBC to be the most satisfactory with requirements of the developer and makes the performance of GBCs easily distinguishable.

This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge for promoting relationship sustainability by supplementing an integrated model with emphasis on developer satisfaction in GBC selection, so as to establish a good initial foundation due to the match between performances of GBCs and needs of developers. It not only helps maximize developer satisfaction in GBC selection by applying satisfaction to pre-construction management, but also instructs GBCs to prioritize performance improvements. The framework is also conducive for developers to classify selection criteria and select other participants (like green suppliers) from the satisfaction perspective in GBs.

This study uses computer-aided design to improve the ecological and environmental sustainability of early-stage landscape designs. Urban expansion on open land and natural habitats has led to a decline in biodiversity and increased climate change impacts, affecting urban inhabitants' quality of life and well-being. While sustainability indicators have been employed to assess the performance of buildings and neighbourhoods, landscape designs' ecological and environmental sustainability has received comparatively less attention, particularly in early-design stages where applying sustainability approaches is impactful.

The authors propose a computation framework for evaluating key landscape sustainability indicators and providing real-time feedback to designers. The method integrates spatial indicators with widely recognized sustainability rating system credits. A specialized tool was developed for measuring biomass optimization, precipitation management and urban heat mitigation, and a proof-of-concept experiment tested the tool's effectiveness on three Mediterranean neighbourhood-level designs.

The results show a clear connection between the applied design strategy to the indicator behaviour. This connection enhances the ability to establish sustainability benchmarks for different types of landscape developments using parametric design.

The study allows non-expert designers to measure and embed landscape sustainability early in the design stages, thus lowering the entry level for incorporating biodiversity enhancement and climate mitigation approaches.

This study expands the parametric vocabulary for measuring landscape sustainability by introducing spatial ecosystem services and architectural sustainability indicators on a unified platform, enabling the integration of critical climate and biodiversity-loss solutions earlier in the development process.

Sustainable construction re-engineers the conventional project lifecycle to integrate sustainability solutions. The additional sustainability requirements introduce new layers of complexity, challenges and risks that if unaddressed, can derail the gains in sustainable construction projects. This study developed a multidimensional risk assessment model for sustainable construction projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The research activities a comprised comprehensive literature review to shortlist relevant risks, an analysis of the probability – impact rating of the shortlisted risks – and the development of a risk assessment model for SC projects in the UAE. The model is developed based on the multicriteria framework and mathematical formulation of the fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach.

The developed model quantified the overall risk level in sustainable construction projects to be 3.71 on a 5-point Likert scale, indicating that investment in SC projects in the UAE is risky and should be carefully managed. The developed model further revealed that each of the risk groups, comprising management (3.82), technical (3.78), stakeholder (3.68), regulatory (3.66), material (3.53) and economic risks (3.502), presents a significant threat to realizing outcomes typical of SC projects.

This study developed a multidimensional risk assessment model capable of objectively quantifying the overall risk level and provides decision support to project teams to improve risk management in sustainable construction projects.