EFFECTS OF INCENTIVES ON PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES BY GOVERNMENT IN ENHANCING SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICE

Abstract

The building industry, projected to grow at 4.2% annually between 2018 and 2023, has become a formidable pollutant causing climate change that compounds environmental loads. Cities can be said to be “crucibles of hazards” due to several environmental challenges particularly that of fossil fuel’s pollution. A growing consensus among organizations committed to environmental performance targets appropriate strategies to make building activities more sustainable. This paper aims to assess the effects of incentives on passive design strategies in enhancing sustainable building practice. Questionnaire design, employing qualitative strategy was adopted. Study population of Southwest Nigerian architectural firms was 553 as published by ARCON in 2021. Sample size was 170 firms using Cochran’s formula with confidence level of 95 percent. The multi-stage sampling was used. Data for research were analysed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Result revealed different types of incentives that government can offer to enhance sustainable building practice among construction stakeholders. Result also confirmed that rigid-regulatory approach to incentives does not encourage their uptake among construction stakeholders where available. Study recommends that government should enhance sustainable building process by introducing one or more of the forms of incentives, evaluating their preferences with respect to the form of incentives relative to projects to be executed, available resources and time.