A roadmap to enhanced sustainability value in built environment : an optimised impact-framework

Abstract

Construction and building operations account for a high percentage of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) emissions, according to a United Nations (UN) report 2020 Buildings- Global Status Report (GSR), by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. Emis sions from the construction industry reached the highest ever level in 2019, jeopardising global goals. In 2022, the UN 2022 report shows that construction activities in most major economies have returned to pre-pandemic levels. In addition to environmental concerns, the construction industry has also been found to have a negative impact on socio-economic dimensions. This realisation emphasises the need for significant changes within the sector at various levels to align with sustainability global goals and address these challenges effectively. By the 1990’s, various sustainability initiatives, standards, and certification have been deployed worldwide to reduce the construction industry’s high environmental negative impact. However, studies showed that sustainability initiatives such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the United State of America (USA) have largely failed to realise their intended sustainability benefits in environmental, economic and social dimensions, yet to truly reduce the impact of the construction industry due to several factors. A crucial factor contributing to this shortfall is the decision-making practices of consultants during the project’s inception, particularly in the selection of sustainability credits. This deficiency frequently arises from an absence of a well-defined vision for the project’s intended impact, situated within a broader sustainability strategy. Furthermore, recent studies have highlighted critical knowledge and understanding gaps, pinpointing areas such as the impact of green building decisions on business value, the lack of data to accurately estimate the costs associated with specific sustainability credits, insufficient governance and leadership regarding incentive structures, and an often overlooked consideration of end-user preferences. In previous studies, various decision support methods have been proposed to assist sustainability consultants in the credit selection process. These approaches primarily focused on Green Building Rating Systems (GBRSs) or applied different decision sup port learning techniques. However, these methodologies often prioritise the achievement of specific accreditation levels and scores, neglecting the broader impact of the project from construction through to operation on all stakeholders involved. For frameworks such as LEED to truly succeed, they require benchmark datasets that align closely with each sustainability goal. Shifting the focus towards realising the intended sustainability impact- rather than merely aiming for a certain certification level at a minimal cost can significantly enhance outcomes across environmental, social and economic dimensions. Implementing this approach guarantees that the sustainability strategic goals and objectives of the client organisation are met and simultaneously addresses both environmental objectives and the preferences and needs of the end-user. This research emphasises the crucial necessity to equip sustainability consultants with the tools to make informed decisions that prioritise impactful sustainable solutions, rather than simply targeting high accreditation scores and levels. The research introduces an optimised framework for sustainable developments that constructs a decision-making matrix focused on achieving desired impacts, showcasing Net-Zero as an example theme. This framework integrates standards such as LEED and the WELL Building Standards. Additionally, the framework aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), striving for equilibrium among the sustainability pillars. For practitioners involved in the credit selection process, the proposed framework offers a roadmap on how to optimise sustainability value by focusing on the impact, while balancing both the business value of stakeholders and the comfort and satisfaction of end-users. Uniquely, this research employs Backcasting as a novel method within the sustainability credit selection framework, forecasting future impacts and then interpret these projections retrospectively to refine credit selection strategies for optimal sustainability results.