Impediments to the development of the green building market in sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Ghana

Abstract

PurposeDeveloping countries in sub-Saharan Africa are faced with significant challenges as the economies continue to emerge. There is a huge infrastructural demand and various efforts to step up supply. Whilst stepping up the supply, the environmental concerns of these supplies require a lot of attention. With the need to reduce the environmental impact of buildings whilst promoting a green infrastructure, various studies have explored the obstacles to green building technology adoption. This study explores the impediments to the development of the green building market in sub-Saharan Africa.Design/methodology/approachUsing building consultants as the unit of analysis, this study explores the impediments using a structured survey questionnaire. The study area is Ghana, an emerging country in sub-Saharan Africa.FindingsKey impediments to the development of the market is lack of awareness, lack of education and lack of fiscal incentives. The analysis shows that all the variables identified are significant in impeding the growth of the market. The results suggest that within the domain of developing countries, environmental issues may not be of immediate concern as economic issues take centre stage. For sustainability of the environment, it is unequivocal that dissemination of knowledge to key stakeholders be done.Practical implicationsAcademic institutions and professional bodies have a pivotal role to play in raising awareness of green buildings. Governmental support such as various structures should be put in place to build up the local capacity of firms not only to compete with foreign counterparts but also to ensure innovative delivery of green buildings.Originality/valueThe paper presents contextual realities on the green market restrictions within developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa through a deeper understanding of market barriers and recommends pathways for stakeholders.

An investigation into the sustainability practices in PPP infrastructure projects: a case of Nigeria

“…Relevant previous studies (see Zhou et al, 2013;Shen et al, 2016, among others) have focused on sustainability indicators' frameworks and sustainability performance in PPP projects. In developing countries, relevant studies focused on barriers to the application of life cycle costing in building projects, the drivers and practices for implementing sustainable construction, and the impediments to the development of green building markets (see Addy et al, 2020;Opawole et al, 2020;Tunji-Olayeni et al, 2020). It is obvious that efforts at examining sustainability practices in PPP infrastructure projects have received limited attention.…”

Key drivers for green building project financing in Ghana

“…Though there have been efforts to certify several buildings springing up in Ghana, most sustainable projects are still at their initial stages. According to Addy et al (2020), this problem is attributed to some key impediments to developing Ghana's green building market. Among the many obstacles identified by Addy et al (2020), lack of fiscal incentives, which was explained as the industry not having any form of incentive (e.g., financial) to encourage stakeholders to participate in green building construction, was vital.…”

“…According to Addy et al (2020), this problem is attributed to some key impediments to developing Ghana's green building market. Among the many obstacles identified by Addy et al (2020), lack of fiscal incentives, which was explained as the industry not having any form of incentive (e.g., financial) to encourage stakeholders to participate in green building construction, was vital. Notwithstanding this flaw, the good news is that green buildings' full investment potential is within reach because of the presence of well-established financing models and proven easy-to-implement technologies that are readily available (Shan et al, 2017).…”

Model for promoting green certification of buildings in developing nations: a case study of Nigeria

“…Reports show that the built environment industry is the largest consumer of natural resources (United Nations Environmental Programme, 2009; Energy Information Administration, 2014; Agyekum et al , 2020; Addy et al , 2020). This accounts for about 40% of total world carbon IV oxide emissions, 30% of world raw material consumption and solid-waste outcomes.…”

“…However, these studies for the past decade justified green buildings or low-carbon technology practices as one of the feasible mechanisms to mitigate global warming from the physical environment. This is possibly the reason many scholars affirm that the promotion of green building technologies all through the life cycle of the building is shaping construction sustainability across the world (McGraw, 2008; Ahn et al , 2013; Atanda and Olukoya, 2019; Addy et al , 2020). Yet, there is evidence of lax green building practices, especially in developing countries (Addy et al , 2020), including Nigeria.…”