Driving construction contractors to adopt carbon reduction strategies – an Australian approach

Abstract

This paper reports a study that examines the effect of some key drivers on the construction contractors’ adoption of carbon reduction strategies. An industry survey was conducted in Victoria, Australia, for data collection. Interviews with industry experts were conducted to validate the survey findings. The results indicate that most carbon reduction strategies are not being adopted in construction projects. Such findings are in line with scholars’ comments on the construction contractors as being apathetic to reduce carbon emissions. The findings further suggested levies on carbon emissions, rewarding schemes and training and education as the effective drivers of carbon reduction. This study contributes to a deeper understanding about driving contractors' behavioural change to achieve carbon reduction. This provides valuable insights into devising pragmatic measures to reduce carbon emissions in projects.