AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF THE POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO AND DRIVERS OF ADOPTING AND IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

While sustainable construction has gained increasing international attention, a limited number of studies address the issue of sustainable construction in South Africa. The adoption and implementation of sustainable solutions in the South African construction industry is also not apparent. The objective of this paper was to examine the most significant barriers to and drivers of the adoption and implementation of sustainable construction through an integrative review by systematically analysing the existing literature. This review identified six key themes in the literature: 1) socio-cultural barriers and drivers; 2) economic barriers and drivers; 3) stakeholder barriers and drivers; 4) political barriers and drivers; 5) technological barriers and drivers; and 6) the environmental benefits of adopting sustainable construction. An empirical investigation is ongoing to understand and analyse some of these barriers and drivers, with the aim of facilitating the transition to the adoption and successful implementation of sustainable construction in South Africa.