EXPLORING THE GREEN BUILDING PROSPECTS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Green building refers to any development project or building that, in its design, construction, and building operation is environmentally responsible, resource-efficient, and eliminates or reduces the negative effects on the environment. Although green buildings provide enormous benefits to the environment, economy, and society, the public is still unaware of these benefits. The public’s lack of knowledge, experience, and awareness of green buildings led to market barriers becoming one of the primary reasons for the poor implementation of green buildings in Malaysia. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore the benefits and the contributing factors of green building towards sustainability in Malaysia. Most of the green building developments are in the Klang Valley. This study focused on the public within the Klang Valley area. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed via online platforms. A total of 80 respondents were received for the survey. The data were analysed by using SPSS software. Descriptive analysis is used to analyse the data to obtain a mean value, and the score is ranked accordingly. The results summarised that the top three benefits of green building include reduced waste and pollution, improved environmental quality, and enhanced indoor environmental quality. Energy efficiency, improved occupant health and comfort, and greater building value are major factors that contribute to the sustainability of green buildings.