Identifying and prioritizing sustainability indicators for China’s assessing demolition waste management using modified Delphi–analytic hierarchy process method

Abstract

Addressing the sustainability issues arising from construction and demolition waste management (DWM) has gained little traction due to the lack of incentives, stringent regulations, and systematic guidance. This study aims to empower systematic decision-making concerning DWM alternative selection by developing a sustainability assessment framework by coupling a modified Delphi method with the multicriteria decision analysis technique. First, the study identifies a comprehensive inventory of indicators across three dimensions of sustainability in the context of DWM. Next, the study combines a modified Delphi method with the analytic hierarchy process to validate and prioritize the selected sustainability indicators. For the first time, insights regarding the DWM sustainability indicators from China’s construction industry practitioners’ perspectives are elicited using a mixed method comprising online semistructured interviews and two rounds of questionnaire surveys. Experts participating in the research are mostly based in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, where local governments exhaust all efforts in promoting carbon-neutral and sustainable development. The findings reveal that eight sustainability indicators were regarded as the determinants for the sustainability performance of DWM, with the global warming potential (32%), energy efficiency (16.1%) and land use (13.5%) receiving the highest preference scores (weights) based on the experts’ judgment. Notably, the economic factors like the total cost (6.54%) appeared not highly prioritized by the local experts as typically did in the previous studies from developing countries.

Modeling and Analysis of sustainability performance Indicators in spool fabrication industry.

“…The greenhouse gas emission is the measure of Global warming potential and is calculated in carbon dioxide equivalents. For assessing the environmental indicators for construction and demolition waste management, the framed indicators composed of Global warming potential, Eutrophication potential, Land use, Acidification potential, Energy efficiency and Abiotic depletion potential [7]. These indicators are specifically intended for effective waste management in the construction industry.…”

“…However the scenario is controversial in case of MSMS'S, where they are facing crucial challenges in implementing environmental sustainability aspects and 15 environmental indicators with their interdependence is elucidated for the sustainability assessment [29]. The Chinese had developed a proposed framework for sustainability assessment in their steel iron firms and also for demolishing waste management [30]; [7]. For effective implementation of sustainability concepts, the selection of best sustainable indicator is achieved by incorporating min-max normalization function and novel antinorm-based aggregation function and developed a suitable framework [11].…”

“…Similar assessment of social indicators for the industry is carried out in the previous studies which reveals the main indicators as 1) Employment benefits and characteristics, 2) Employment practices and relations; 3) Health and safety (H&S) practices and incidents, 4)Training, education, and personal skills, 5) Diversity and equal opportunities, 6) Employee welfare, 7) Innovation and competitiveness, 8) Human rights implementation and integration, 9)Basic human rights practice [38]. For demolition and waste management in construction industries, the social indicators entails noise emission and job creation [7]. Workplace satisfaction, equality, customer satisfaction and job opportunities are the prominent social indicators in the industry.…”

“…For framing these strategies , it is imperative to analyze the present sustainability status of the organization by evaluating sustainability indicators [5], [6]. The past research had elucidated on the development and design of sustainability indicators in large and medium scale industries [7] [8]. A list of subjective indicators are analyzed and prioritized for assessing the sustainability level of the water system industry [9].…”