Drivers of the implementation of Green Building concepts and technologies in developing countries: The case of Ghana

Abstract

Green building (GB) is a widely endorsed strategy in terms of addressing goals 12 and 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nonetheless, available literature suggests that little attention has been given to drivers influencing the adoption of green building concepts and technologies in developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This paper aims to determine the drivers influencing the adoption of green building concepts and technologies and to assess the extent of consensus amongst built environment professionals regarding the drivers. The study employed a quantitative approach involving the use of a questionnaire survey administered to purposively selected construction professionals in Ghana to collect the data. A total of 292 valid responses were received, resulting in a response rate of 52%. Descriptive analysis was then employed to compute the means and relative importance indices (RII) with the aim of determining the most important drivers of GB. Subsequently, a parametric test (ANOVA) was conducted to interrogate the extent of consensus amongst the professionals regarding the drivers. The survey results revealed that the top five most important drivers propelling the uptake of GB in Ghana are: greater energy-efficiency of buildings; enhancement of occupants’ health and comfort and satisfaction; greater water-efficiency of buildings; better indoor environmental quality, and thermal comfort (better indoor temperature). A Comparison of the views of the different professional groups among the stakeholders also revealed that, Architects consistently rated all drivers more highly than other professionals, except in the case of ‘improving national economic performance and job creation,’ where quantity surveyors assigned it greater importance. This study has provided empirical evidence of the important drivers influencing the adoption of green building concepts and technologies from all stakeholders. It would also serve as a knowledge repository for built environment stakeholders in developing countries.