Barriers Affecting the Adoption of Green Building Technologies

Green building (GB) is gaining increased acceptance in the construction industry as a viable solution for meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly or healthy buildings. However, the uptake of GB technologies is not as apparent as it should have been. This paper aims to examine the criticality of various barriers preventing the wider adoption of GB technologies. Results from statistical analyses of 104 questionnaire survey responses from GB experts around the world are presented. The results validated the criticality of 19 of the 26 barriers used for the survey. Respondents from different countries and with diverse backgrounds displayed broad consensus on the criticality levels of the barriers. Resistance of stakeholders to change and higher cost are identified as the most critical barriers to implementing GB technologies. Generally, the various groups of respondents shared similar views on the number of barriers affecting the industry; however, respondents with more than 15 years of experience in GB perceived fewer barriers. The factor analysis showed that the barriers to GB technologies adoption could be grouped into five main interrelated components, which suggest the need for holistic and integrated strategies to overcome the barriers. The findings of this paper could help policy makers identify specific problems in GB technologies adoption and develop suitable strategies for their wider uptake. From the perspective of international experts, this study contributes to the body of knowledge about GB barriers.