Sustainable Construction Practices: “A Lazy View” of Construction Professionals in the South Africa Construction Industry

Abstract

The construction industry has been found to cause damaging effects to the environment by means of waste generation, energy and water depletion and several other forms of damage to the environment. This damage has led to experts and environmentalist calling for a sustainable way of carrying out construction activities. Thus, this study addresses the challenges hindering the adoption of sustainable construction practices in the South Africa construction industry. The data used in this research were sourced from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data was collected through a questionnaire aimed at practicing construction professional in the South African construction industry. Indicative Findings from the questionnaire survey revealed that the foremost challenges faced by South African construction industry towards the adoption of sustainable construction practices is the assumption (a lazy view) of additional cost to building projects, followed by limited understanding of the benefits of sustainable construction amongst others. The study contributes to sustainability thinking in the South African construction industry; and it is recommended that strategies and actions should be pursued actively to speed up the process in creating a sustainable-oriented construction industry, which is paramount towards building a sustainable future.