Enhancing Environmental Sustainability within the Construction Procurement Process in Ghana
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Date
2015-02-13
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Abstract
New trends in the field of procurement require embedment of environmental sustainability
principles in the way the entire procurement process is executed. Construction is known to have a
major impact on the environment and despite the recognition that environmental issues are
important to the survival of the construction industry, the industry continues to degrade the
environment, exploiting resources and generating waste. The industry is slow to change its
conventional practices to incorporate environmental sustainability matters as part of its
procurement decision making process. With increased awareness and knowledge of these impacts,
efforts are being made to avoid these adverse effects and to work towards impact mitigation. The
aim of the study is to assess how environmental sustainability within the construction procurement
process can be enhanced. The objectives of the study among others included the assessment of the
level of knowledge of environmental sustainability among construction procurement practitioners;
identify challenges in integrating environmental sustainability and measures in integrating
environmental sustainability into the construction procurement process. The main tools for the
collection of data included questionnaires and interviews. The target population for the data
collection included architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, procurement officers. Statistical
package for social scientists version 20 was employed to analyze data obtained. Mean score
rankings was adopted to analyze data on knowledge and barriers to implementation of
environmental sustainability. Weighted average and relative importance index were adopted to
analyze data on environmental sustainability integration measures. Air pollution, wear and tear of
existing roads, destruction of virgin land, and high consumption of electricity power, noise
pollution and waste of portable water were the major concern of professionals on environmental
sustainability. The structured questionnaire survey showed the existence of some level of
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awareness among professionals about environmental sustainability in construction procurement.
Lack of stringent policies and laws, higher initial associated costs, lack of support from top
management, lack of technical and management capacity and lack of public education were
considered as the six major barriers that hinders the implementation of environmental
sustainability into construction procurement process. The research recommended that policies and
measures that could monitor, evaluate, and track construction works for the attainment of
environmental sustainability should be incorporated in the construction procurement process.
Finally, areas for further research were identified.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology,
College of Architecture and Planning
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, 2014