Sustainable Procurement in Construction

Journal of Cleaner Production 376 (2022) 134294
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro
Sustainable procurement in construction and the realisation of the

sustainable development goal (SDG) 12
Alex Opoku a, *, Jiaying Deng b, Abbas Elmualim a, Samuel Ekung c, Aseel A. Hussien a,
Salem Buhashima Abdalla a
a
Department of Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
b
UCL Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK
c
Department of Quantity Surveying, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
Handling Editor: Prof. Jiri Jaromir Klemeš As the major consumer of resources and energy, the construction industry has been at the heart of the debate on
sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the overarching guidance for the
Keywords: construction industry to promote sustainable development from environmental, social, and economic di
Sustainable development goals mensions. Moreover, sustainable consumption and production (SCP) are highlighted in the SDG 12, while Sus
SDG 12
tainable Procurement (SP) focuses on promoting sustainable development through procurement processes and
Construction industry
decisions. However, little has been written about how the construction industry could turn the challenges of SP
Sustainable procurement
Responsible consumption and production into opportunities that promotes procurement practices in accordance with national policies and priorities. This
study examines the drivers and challenges on the adoption of sustainable procurement in construction and how it
impacts the achievement of SDG 12. The quantitative approach using questionnaires identified the drivers and
barriers to SP implementation in construction and the SP practices contributing to the realisation of SDG 12
(Responsible consumption and production). The results confirmed that the construction industry should play a
significant role in achieving the SDGs and show that construction SP practices contribute to the realisation of 9 of
the SDG 12 targets. The results also suggested that governments should play a more active role in partnership
with industry stakeholders and that the social and economic dimensions of sustainability deserve more attention.
The value of this study is to provide construction industry stakeholder an insight into the drivers and challenges
of SP and how to turn SP challenges into opportunities by adopting initiatives that consider the environmental,
social, and economic impact of all procurement decisions. It also highlights the important role of the construction
industry towards the realisation of the SDGs, particularly the significance of SP practices in the construction
industry to the achievement of SDG 12.
1. Introduction planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships” (Jayasooria, 2016). Thus,

the realisation of the SDGs should be the responsibility of all sectors of
The concept of sustainable development made its first appearance in every nation, state, and governments (Jayasooria, 2016).
Brundtland Report (Brundtland, 1987), also named Our common future, The construction industry should take significant responsibility in
which the World Commission published on Environment and Develop contributing to the promotion of sustainable development (Alawneh
ment (WCED) in 1987 (Gusmão Caiado et al., 2018). After decades, the et al., 2018). The construction and building sector accounts for 5–10%of
United Nations (UN) set a milestone for the world’s sustainable devel employment and creates 5–15% GDP (UNEP, 2018). However, the
opment in 2015. The UN’s report Transforming our World: The 2030 construction activities considerably lead to the emission of greenhouse
agenda for Sustainable Development consists of 17 Sustainable Develop gas. For example, steel, cement, paper, plastic, and aluminium creates
ment Goals (SDGs), 169 targets with 231 unique indicators, called “a 55% of CO2 worldwide (Allwood, 2012). Furthermore, the construction
plan of action for people, planet and prosperity” (UN, 2015). The UN sector is responsible for 40% of the energy consumed, 40% of solid
measures the progress of the SDGs by focusing on the “5 Ps” of “people, waste, 12% of water use and almost 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Opoku).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134294
Received 23 February 2022; Received in revised form 7 September 2022; Accepted 19 September 2022
Available online 23 September 2022
0959-6526/© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A. Opoku et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 376 (2022) 134294
the world (UNEP, 2018; Alawneh et al., 2018). It is a significant this paper is to examine the drivers and challenges in the adoption of
contributor to economic growth and a primary consumer of energy and sustainable procurement in construction industry and how it impacts the
natural resources, primarily non-renewable and non-sustainable re achievement of SDG 12. The next section provides a review of relevant
sources (Khan et al., 2018; Alawneh et al., 2019). Besides, the con literature, followed by a description of the adopted research method
struction industry has historically recorded poor performance in human ology in section 3. Section 4 presents results and analysis followed by
health and safety; it accounts for approximately 20–30% of all reported discussion in section 5 and conclusions in section 6.
vocational severe injuries and 40% of occupational cancer mortalities
and cancer registrations (Shields, 2015; Ruparathna and Hewage, 2015; 2. Literature review
Edet, 2018). Consequently, the built environment significantly impacts
three critical aspects of sustainable development: social, environmental 2.1. The SDGs and the construction industry
and economic (Alawneh et al., 2019). As mentioned above, the con
struction industry is related to many serious global issues, such as Considering the construction industry’s impact on the environment,
climate change, resource scarcity, water, and resource use (UNEP, 2018; society, and economy, many researchers started to explore the con
Alawneh et al., 2018). From 2010 to 2017, the use of non-metallic struction industry’s role in realising the SDGs since the publication of
minerals went from 34.3% to 40.4% globally, accounting for almost the 2030 agenda for sustainable development in 2015. By evaluating the
half of all raw material use, indicating the considerable growth in relationship between water efficiency, and energy and atmosphere (EA)
infrastructure and construction (UN, 2020). of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating
In the construction industry, procurement is the process of acquiring system and the SDGs, Alawneh et al. (2018) discovered that these two
materials and services during the entire lifecycle of construction pro categories play a positive role in the realisation of the SDGs 6, 9, 12, 13
jects, which increasingly impacts the achievement of the SDGs (Yu et al., and 15. It suggested that green buildings’ water and energy efficiency
2020). The construction industry should take the primary role in waste significantly contribute to those SDGs. Focusing on the realisation of 8 of
prevention by reducing, recycling, and reusing resources (WGBC, 2016). the 17 SDGs (4, 6, 7–9, 11, 15, 17), suggestions for designers to integrate
However, traditional procurement in construction mainly focuses on the the SDGs into sustainable building design by developing two mapping
rule that the lowest price wins while ignoring the construction activities’ tools in sustainable building projects to trace the design process were
influence on society and the environment (Opoku, 2013). On the social provided by Goubran and Cucuzzella (2019). Notably, considering
aspect, buildings provide a place for people to live and conduct a social building features, a comprehensive list of how building design can meet
life. However, various social issues remain prominent, such as unequal each SDG, which would be valuable and inspiring for future sustainable
treatment of workers, lack of gender and ethnic diversity, and low development, were also created (Goubran and Cucuzzella, 2019).
working environment standards (Worrall et al., 2010). SP in construc Meanwhile, Alawneh et al. (2019) provided an advanced framework
tion aims to create social and economic benefits for project stakeholders to assess the integration of selected SDGs (3, 6, 7–9, 11–13, 15) into the
and minimise environmental damage, which is a process through which project lifecycle. Furthermore, Goubran (2019) found that 17% of the
project stakeholders can meet design and development needs while SDGs were directly related to activities in the construction sector and
realising value for money throughout the project lifecycle (Alkilani and 27% indirectly, and the achievement of SDGs 11, 6 and 7 were most
Jupp, 2012). reliant on construction activities. Construction activities have damaged
Furthermore, SDG 12, which is “to ensure sustainable consumption the balance of the ecosystem and biodiversity due to the fast pace of
and production patterns” (UN, 2015) aims to focus on achieving energy urbanisation, however, green infrastructure delivery, and the integra
and resource efficiency, developing sustainable infrastructure, and tion of biodiversity into property evaluation and management are very
providing essential services and green jobs (WGBC, 2016). And SDG 12 important towards the realisation of SDG 15 (Opoku, 2019). Economic
target 12.7 is about Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) promotion sustainability advocates that construction activities are not wasteful and
(UN, 2015). Public procurement is considered a huge contributor to the achieves economic growth with limited resources and minimal envi
GDP of many countries (Chiarini et al., 2017). There is no doubt that the ronmental harm (Baumgärtner and Quaas, 2010). Capital costs are al
public sector is taking the primary responsibility in the rise of SP by the ways the main barrier to implementing sustainable construction
selection of stakeholders inside the supply chain in construction, while practices. Social sustainability is about the social responsibility of con
the private sector adopts SP practices because of the economic and struction organisations (Almahmoud and Doloi, 2015). It is not only
financial benefits for their organisations (Agbesi et al., 2018; Chiarini associated with the social impact of the construction activities on the
et al., 2017). With increasing environmental concerns and resource community but also, with the construction organisations’ interaction
exhaustion, there is an urgent need for the joint effort of both public and with all stakeholders through the whole project lifecycle, such as the
private sectors to apply SP effectively and this may have a more sig moral and ethical obligations with suppliers and workforce (Valdes-
nificant impact on developing countries than developed countries (Geng Vasquez and Klotz Leidy, 2013). Although sustainability has attracted
and Doberstein, 2008). attention in the construction industry for many years, academic litera
The UNEP (2018) argues that the current global consumption and ture exploring the industry’s role in supporting the realisation of the
production patterns are impossible to sustain, and that the planet will SDGs is attracting increasing attention. Several studies have provided
need 183 billion tonnes of material every year by 2050 if this pattern general recommendations for sustainable practices or tools for organi
doesn’t change. The adoption of sustainable procurement practices in sations to implement the SDGs, focusing on which goals take priority.
construction industry for the acquisition of product and services to The adoption of sustainable procurement practices in the construction
minimise the negative impact using green initiatives in the construction industry faces several challenges that must be addressed to ensure suc
supply chain should be promoted (Willar et al., 2021). The adoption of cessful sustainable project delivery that can impact on the realisation of
SP in construction can help achieve the SDGs and address environ the sustainable development goals (Vassen, 2021).
mental, economic, and social issues by producing and purchasing
environmentally friendly services and products. The construction in 2.2. SDG 12 and sustainable procurement
dustry is natural resource-intensive and therefore has an urgent role to
play in the realisation of SDG 12 which underpins almost all the other The SDG 12 is to “Ensure sustainable consumption and production
SDGs from SDG 1 (Zero Poverty) to SDG 16 (Peace and Justice). How patterns” (UN, 2015) and comprises 11 targets and 13 indicators. Target
ever, little empirical research has been written on how the industry can 12.1–12.8 are specific targets, and targets 12.a – 12.c is about imple
address the challenge of resource use by adopting sustainable procure mentation practices both for developed and developing countries
ment practices towards the realisation of SDG 12. Therefore, the aim of (Table 1). The SDG 12 looked at sustainability primarily from the
2
Table 1 seek to address the three aspects of sustainability (social, environmental

SDG 12 targets (UN, 2015). and social) (Uttam et al., 2014). Accordingly, there is no distinction
Goal Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns between the meaning of Sustainable Procurement (SP) and Green Pro
12 curement (GP) in this paper and the term is used interchangeably.
12.1 Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable
Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with 2.2.1. Current sustainable procurement practices
developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development With the increasing concern on sustainable development worldwide,
and capabilities of developing countries the number of research on SP has increased in the last few years. On one
12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural
resources
hand, some studies have tended to investigate the development of SP/GP
12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer in particular countries, such as Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany,
levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, the United States, Denmark, China, Malaysia and Pakistan (Faith-Ell
including post-harvest losses et al., 2006; Walker and Brammer, 2009; Large and Gimenez Thomsen,
12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals
2011; Fuguo et al., 2012; Mcmurray et al., 2014; Roman, 2017; Zaidi
and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed
international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, et al., 2019; Kannan, 2021). On the other hand, some studies made
water and soil in order to minimise their adverse impacts on human health comparisons of SP practices in different countries. For example, Walker
and the environment and Brammer (2012) investigated the association between e-procure
12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, ment and SP in 20 countries. Chiarini et al. (2017) compared SP prac
reduction, recycling, and reuse
12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to
tices of the public health sector between the UK and Italy. Wang et al.
adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into (2018) explored developed countries’ SP practices promoting techno
their reporting cycle logical innovation. In terms of barriers to SP implementation, the lack of
12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance awareness and resources and insufficient knowledge are common in
with national policies and priorities
both developed and developing countries (Walker and Brammer, 2009;
12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and
awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with Zhu et al., 2013; Mcmurray et al., 2014; Zaidi et al., 2019). Furthermore,
nature the drivers of the implementation of SP include legislation, top man
12.a Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and agement commitment, government policy (Mcmurray et al., 2014;
technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of Kannan, 2021; Fuguo et al., 2012; Large and Gimenez Thomsen, 2011).
consumption and production
In terms of SP practices, adopting energy-saving and environmentally
12.b Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts
for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and friendly products, supporting SMEs’ development, procuring domestic
products products, and promoting high-tech products and services were common
12.c Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful SP practices (Wang et al., 2018; Walker and Phillips, 2009). Social
consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national
sustainability of SP policies, such as working conditions, safety, equity,
circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those
harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, and human rights, have also been adopted (Islam et al., 2017; Mcmurray
taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing et al., 2014).
countries and minimising the possible adverse impacts on their However, the findings of some studies revealed that the development
development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected of SP in developing countries was still a long distance from that of
communities
developed countries. For instance, in recent years, GPP usually
accounted for 10%–20% of government procurement, while the rate of
perspective of production efficiency, addressing natural resources usage GPP in Germany, Denmark, and Sweden range from 20% to 40% and the
and management (Target 12.2), food production and reduction of food figure of Finland has reached over 80% (Renda et al., 2012; Liu et al.,
waste (Target 12.3), responsible chemicals and waste management 2019). The decentralised nature of the Chinese government has led to
(Target 12.4), reducing waste generation (Target 12.5), sustainable the limited competence of government procurement departments,
commercial practices and reporting (Target 12.6) and sustainable public which has also hindered the development of GP (Fuguo et al., 2012).
Procurement (Target 12.7) (Gasper et al., 2019). SDG 12 emphasised Besides, local, and religious cultures might also be the barriers to the SP
technological innovation and corporation between developed countries implementation among some Asian countries (Mcmurray et al., 2014;
and developing countries, such as Target 12.1 and Target 12.a, resource Islam et al., 2017).
efficiency (Target 12.2), and cleaner production (Target 12.3, 12.4, 12.5
and 12.c), to minimise environmental and social impacts while ensuring 2.2.2. SDG 12 and sustainable procurement in the construction industry
economic growth (Gasper et al., 2019). As SDG12 is still a relatively a new topic, there is still minimal aca
The UK Sustainable Procurement Task Force defined Sustainable demic discussion in the context of the construction industry. Therefore,
Procurement (SP) as “a process whereby organisations meet their needs the following analysis focused on the literature on sustainable practices
for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for towards the achievement of SDG 12. Several studies identified the
money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits not only to drivers and barriers to SP implementation in the construction industry,
the organisation, but also society and the economy, whilst minimising as presented in Tables 2 and 3. Results of Iles and Ryall (2016) study
damage to the environment” (Defra, 2006). This definition was recog showed that cost was the main barrier, and this view was from those
nised by the United Nations (UN) in 2008 and ISO26000 and BS8903 are companies that did not implement SP, while those companies that have
two well-accepted standards worldwide that guided SP (Iles and Ryall, implemented SP recognised that SP was cost-saving. Eliminating inertia
2016). UN (2008) argued that there existed a difference between the and improving knowledge deficiency are two approaches for promoting
terms Green Public Procurement (GPP) and Sustainable Public Pro organisations’ SP implementation (Iles and Ryall, 2016; Belfitt et al.,
curement (SPP). The former concentrated on acquiring products and 2011). Shen et al. (2017) found that Chinese developers are
services that minimise environmental impact, while the latter took not market-driven, and the Chinese government played a minor impact in
only environmental consideration but also included social consider promoting GP practices than governments of developed countries,
ation, such as “gender and ethnics equity; poverty eradication and indicating that current policy has not put enough pressure and initia
respect for core labour standards”. GPP has proved to be evolving to tives for developers to adopt GP. Ruparathna and Hewage (2015)
wards SPP over the years (Uttam et al., 2014). Different countries might identified that insufficient investment was the main challenge for SP
use different terms to describe SP, but in the end, their policy contents implementation in the Canadian context. Agbesi et al. (2018) also built a
conceptual model to evaluate technical, organisational, and
3
Table 2 Table 4
Drivers of Sustainable Procurement implementation. Sustainable Procurement practices.
Aspect Factors Resources Practices Resources
Political Government policy Shen et al. (2017), Belfitt et al. E-procurement Wimalasena and Gunatilake (2018),
(2011), Agbesi et al. (2018) Laryea and Ibem (2014)
Regulation and legislation Wong et al. (2016), Belfitt et al. Fuel-efficient machinery, low-emission Azzi et al. (2015), Iwaro et al. (2014)
(2011), Agbesi et al. (2018) technology, and low-carbon
Environmental Pollution reduction Wong et al. (2016), Khan et al. production technology
(2018), Ruparathna and Hewage Sustainable design Azzi et al. (2015), Eleftheriadis et al.
(2015) (2017), Ajayi and Oyedele (2017),
Forest management Wong et al. (2016), Khan et al. Opoku and Fortune (2015)
(2018) BIM Azzi et al. (2015), Eleftheriadis et al.
Resource management Wong et al. (2016), Khan et al. (2017), Ajayi and Oyedele (2017)
(2018) Logistics management, Material reuse, Islam et al. (2019), Gálvez-Martos et al.
Waste management Wong et al. (2016), Khan et al. Waste segregation, Construction, and (2018), Ajayi et al. (2017), Opoku and
(2018), Ruparathna and Hewage demolition waste (CDW) recycling Fortune (2015)
(2015) Landfill tax and aggregate tax Ajayi and Oyedele (2017)
Social Organisational culture Shen et al. (2017), Mcmurray Water conservation Hussin et al. (2013), Opoku and Fortune
et al. (2014), Agbesi et al. (2018) (2015)
Reputation Mcmurray et al. (2014), Iles and WLC approach Belfitt et al. (2011), Opoku (2013)
Ryall (2016), Khan et al. (2018) The adoption of local suppliers and Opoku and Fortune (2015)
Community and employee’s Mcmurray et al. (2014), Khan contractors
health and safety and et al. (2018) Social Value practices Opoku and Guthrie (2018)
standard
Economic Cost-effectiveness Iles and Ryall (2016), Khan et al.
(2018) factors for procurement, including indoor climate quality, energy use
Competitive pressure Shen et al. (2017), Iles and Ryall and environmental impact and the life cycle economy, contributing to
(2016), Belfitt et al. (2011),
Agbesi et al. (2018)
the transparent and effective sustainable building design. Furthermore,
Business benefits Shen et al. (2017), Wong et al. Azzi et al. (2015) highly recommended the application of low-emission
(2016) technology and low-carbon production technology in construction
should be accelerated because of the energy-intensive nature of the in
dustry. It is widely accepted that the integration of Building Information
Table 3 Modelling (BIM) into sustainable design contributes to the realisation of
Barriers to Sustainable Procurement implementation. energy efficiency and sustainability in the whole project lifecycle (Azzi
Factors Resources
et al., 2015; Eleftheriadis et al., 2017; Ajayi and Oyedele, 2017).
Researchers have become increasingly interested in the issues of
Insufficient policies, regulations, Khan et al. (2018), Ruparathna and Hewage
waste generation and waste management. Practices include logistics
incentives (2015), Sourani and Sohail (2011), Shen et al.
(2017) management, material reuse, waste segregation, Construction and De
Lack of funding Iles and Ryall (2016), Khan et al. (2018), molition Waste (CDW) recycling and, in particular, recycled aggregate
Ruparathna and Hewage (2015), Sourani and concrete have proven its value in achieving resource efficiency and
Sohail (2011) carbon reduction (Ajayi et al., 2017; Gálvez-Martos et al., 2018; Islam
Lack of knowledge Khan et al. (2018), Ruparathna and Hewage
(2015), Sourani and Sohail (2011)
et al., 2019). Ajayi and Oyedele (2017) stated that the primary drivers of
Passive organisational culture Khan et al. (2018), Ruparathna and Hewage waste minimisation are legislation and fiscal policies.
(2015), Belfitt et al. (2011), Sourani and Relating to economic and social sustainability, the Whole Life
Sohail (2011) Costing (WLC) approach was used to evaluate the financial performance
Lack of guidance Mcmurray et al. (2014), Khan et al. (2018),
throughout the project lifecycle, which was also a powerful technique
Sourani and Sohail (2011)
Lack of awareness, information, Mcmurray et al. (2014), Iles and Ryall (2016), for SP (Opoku, 2013). Nevertheless, only 5% of the private sector took
commitment, and demand Khan et al. (2018), Ruparathna and Hewage the WLC approach (Belfitt et al., 2011). Russell et al. (2018) also stated
(2015), Sourani and Sohail (2011), Shen et al. that the guidance of SDG 12 on economic activities was limited as its
(2017) indicators focused on the process instead of the outcome. It was again
Poor technical capacity Sourani and Sohail (2011), Shen et al. (2017)
suggested that it was essential to have a third party test and evaluate the
implementation of SDG12, as their third-party perspective and certifi
environmental factors for initiating and implementing SP. cation brought transparency (Russell et al., 2018). Opoku and Fortune
According to BS ISO 10845 (2021), the construction procurement (2015) recommended that local suppliers and contractors’ adoption was
process involve planning, acquiring, and managing contracts relating to essential regarding social sustainability. Moreover, Opoku and Guthrie
“the delivery and the maintenance of construction works”. Resource and (2018) found that the housing sector has not emphasised social value to
energy efficiency, waste minimisation and management, and innovation realise value for money (VFM) in the procurement process. The research
are factors or activities in sustainable construction procurement. Several results showed that vocational skills training, crime and anti-social
researchers provided sustainable solutions for procurement-related ac behaviour mitigation, job creation, are required at the top of the list
tivities through technological innovation in the pre-construction and for businesses to deliver social value.
construction phases (Table 4). Wimalasena and Gunatilake (2018) sug
gested that e-procurement is more time and cost-efficient than tradi 3. Research methodology
tional procurement processes. Although many applications for
e-procurement have already been developed, such as e-catalogues, A quantitative research method and the survey strategy were adop
e-ordering, e-sourcing, e-tendering, there is not yet a system that can ted to collect primary data through the administration of questionnaires
include all procurement activities through the project lifecycle (Laryea among the construction industry professionals in Guangdong Province
and Ibem, 2014). Yu et al. (2020) developed an innovative conceptual of China. The purpose was to examine factors relevant to the construc
framework for integrating e-procurement into SP in construction pro tion industry’s role in achieving the SDGs by identifying the drivers and
jects. Vinokurov et al. (2019) developed a list of energy efficiency the challenges of SP. Furthermore, China is the biggest producer and
4
consumer of construction materials globally (Shen et al., 2017). Thus, characteristics and its increasing demand on sustainable development,
the research in China’s construction industry could be a typical refer its construction industry is suitable for exploring the answers of this
ence for the construction industry worldwide. Despite the extensive research.
literature review to evaluate the role of the construction industry in the SPSS v27 was used to analyse the collected data of the questionnaire.
realisation of the SDGs and the role of the SP in construction in support The data were analysed by descriptive analysis of mean and standard
of the SDG 12, it is not formative enough. Therefore, a snowballing deviation, parametric tests with one-sample t-tests and the Relative
sampling technique was used in administering the questionnaires until a Importance Index (RII) analytical tools. Interval and ratio data may
sample size of 120 construction industry professionals was achieved allow for parametric analysis, whilst nominal and ordinal data limit the
using the Chinese “WeChat” online platform. It is believed that snowball analysis to non-parametric forms (Naoum, 2002). Also, parametric tests
sampling could be biased, however Morgan (2008) argues that the best are much more flexible, and allow the testing of greater range of hy
defence against weaknesses of snowballing sample is to begin with a set potheses than nonparametric test (Siegel and Castellan, 1988). Even
of initial respondents that are as diverse as possible. Chan (2020) argues though parametric data are assumed to be normally distributed, para
that even though the snowball samples are subject to sample selection metric tests can provide trustworthy results with distributions that are
bias, the information about the network connections is not. It is also skewed and nonnormal and that parametric analyses can produce reli
recommended that, by increasing the sample size for an online survey, able results even when your continuous data are nonnormally distrib
the bias could be reduced (Kirchherr and Charles, 2018). Again, the uted. The one-sample t-test can be used for statistical analysis provided
target population and sampling frame was clearly defined to reduce bias the sample size is greater than 20 (Frost, 2022). Firstly, respondents’
and demonstrate if the sample represents the population (Illenberger views of the relationship between the SDGs and the construction in
et al., 2008). The study therefore adopted these measures to reduce bias dustry and drivers of SP implementation were analysed by descriptive
and enhancing the sample diversity of the sample which is a good analysis and then the one-sample t-test because the results can indicate
representative sample of the targeted population of construction in the overall view of a normally distributed population (Johnson, 2009;
dustry professionals in Guangdong Province, China having the relevant Wong et al., 2016). Secondly, respondents’ perceptions of the signifi
knowledge and experience in construction procurement and the SDGs. cance of different barriers to SP implementation and different SP prac
The aim is to identify the role of the construction industry, key drivers tices contributing to SDG 12 were analysed using RII, which was used to
and barriers to SP implementation, and effective SP practices/measures rank the significance of various items (Alawneh et al., 2019). The mean
that contributes to the achievement of the SDG 12. Respondents were of the responses which were significantly above 3, were assumed to have
asked to rank their awareness of the SDGs and their perception of the a significant relationship between the assessed barriers and SP imple
role of the construction industry in achieving the SDGs on a five-point mentation or a significant relationship between the assessed practices
Likert scale ranging from 1 (not aware), to 5 (completely aware), and and SDG 12. RII could only be calculated if a significant relationship was
from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree) respectively. found (Alawneh et al., 2019). Equation (1) was used to calculate each
Again, respondents were required to assess their view on drivers of assessment item (Alawneh et al., 2019; Iwaro et al., 2014). A higher RII
SP implementation, including 12 items from four dimensions, by using a value means that the barrier has a more significant impact on SP
five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 implementation or that the SP practice contributes more to SDG 12.
(completely agree). Finally, respondents were then required to rate the ∑n
Wi
significance of the seven barriers to SP implementation and the 15 SP RII = i=1 (1)
AN
practices that support the SDG 12. A five-point Likert scale was applied
from 1 (the least significant) to 5 (the most significant). All items asked where W = weighting of each item provided by respondents (ranging
to be assessed were derived from the extensive literature review, pre from 1 to 5), A = the highest weight, and N = total number of re
sented in Tables 2–4. The use of Likert scale allows respondents to spondents in the sample.
indicate their opinion/attitudes on positive-to-negative strength of Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis was adopted because it is
agreement of a statement. A 5-point Likert scale was used for this study appropriate for indicators rated on Likert scale and helps with the
because it is relatively easier for respondents to understand, ideal for a ranking of the most important criteria based on responses from the
larger study and tends to produce better distributions of data (McLeod, research participants. The RII analysis turns the results of a five-point
2019). Likert scale into a format that makes ranking of all the indicators
The targeted respondents of this survey included professionals with easier (McLeod, 2019).
experience in construction projects, working in organisations associated Before these analyses, the reliability of various items was pre-tested
with the construction industry, such as real estate companies, design by the Cronbach’s alpha test. The acceptable level of the test is 0.7 and
companies, and construction companies. Guangdong province was above. (Islam et al., 2017). The test result of this survey was 0.955,
selected for the study since its current economic and social development which was higher than 0.70, indicating that the measurement instru
state reflected that it must adopts sustainable development path in the ment has high internal consistency.
infrastructure and real estate sector to maintain stable socio-economic
growth. Guangdong’s GDP has been ranked first in China for more
4. Results and analysis
than 30 years. Its urbanisation rate has continued to grow, reaching
74.15% in 2020 (Guangdong Bureau of Statistics, 2021), making it one
A total of 83 out of 120 questionnaires were responded to and
of the most developed provinces in China. Nevertheless, at the same
retrieved for further analyses representing 69% response rate. This
time, Guangdong is the most densely populated place in China (Textor,
section presents an analysis of the demographic background of re
2020). Secondly, with the rapid path of urbanisation, resource issues
spondents, Awareness and understanding of the SDGs and the con
have become increasingly severe. Guangdong’s energy resources are
struction industry, Drivers of SP implementation, and Barriers to SP
highly scarce, and its external dependence is high while facing water
implementation; SP practices contribute to the realisation of the SDGs.
scarcity and pollution problems (Zhai et al., 2019). Its construction in
dustry is highly dependent on internal forest resources (Zhang et al.,
2018). In 2011, China’s Development and Reform Commission 4.1. Demographic background
approved seven pilot carbon trading schemes, which run from 2013 to
2015, of which Guangdong Province and Shenzhen are among the pilot The analysis of demographics of participants (Table 5) for the
provinces and cities (Deng et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2020). Overall, research shows that, over half of the respondents were from organisa
considering Guangdong’s economic, social and environment tions within the construction industry, including real estate companies
5
Table 5 of the construction industry to the realisation of the SDGs. The results of
Summary of respondents’ background. the respondents’ views on the role of the construction industry in real
Category Item Number Percentage ising the SDGs are presented in Fig. 1 and Table 6. Fig. 1 shows that most
respondents agreed that the construction industry can contribute to the
Organisation type Real estate 9 10.84%
Construction company 12 14.46% realisation of the UN sustainable development goals. The results shows a
Design company 17 20.48% mean score of 4.386 with a t-value of 4.12 and a p-value of 0.000 < 0.05,
Consulting organisation 10 12.05% showing that the mean value is statistically significantly different from
Financial institution 3 3.61% “4 = agree”. Both results of Fig. 1 and Table 6 indicate that the re
Technology enterprise 6 7.23%
University/research institution 9 10.84%
spondents have a high degree of agreement that the construction in
Government department 3 3.61% dustry can greatly impact on the realisations of the SDGs.
Others 14 16.87%
Working experience Less than 1 year 12 14.46% 4.3. Drivers of SP implementation
1–5 years 26 31.33%
6–10 years 2 2.41%
11–15 years 19 22.89% Table 7 summarises the analysis of drivers of SP implementation in
16–20 years 4 4.82% political, environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
20 years or more 20 24.10%
Job position Procurement Dept. manager 14 16.87% 4.3.1. Political drivers
Project manager 8 9.64%
Senior engineer 7 8.43%
Regarding the political aspect, both Mean values are higher than 4
Budgeting specialist 19 22.89% with their p-value < 0.05. The results show that both “government
Architect 3 3.61% policy” and “regulation and legislation” play an essential role in moti
Marketing specialist 10 12.05% vating the development of SP. Besides, Cronbach’s alpha test score
Operation specialist 7 8.43%
under this category was 0.846, showing good internal consistency be
IT specialist 4 4.82%
Lawyer 1 1.20% tween the items. The Mean value of “government policy” is slightly
Professor 3 3.61% higher than “regulation and legislation”, indicating that the government
Others 7 8.43% policy’s role is more favourable than regulation and legislation. The
government is an important customer for the construction industry.
Furthermore, regulation and legislation directly influence companies’
(10.84%), construction companies (14.46%), design companies
purchasing decisions of construction materials, resources, and services.
(20.48%), and consulting organisations (12.05%). Other respondents
Literature also suggested that organisations take environmental, social,
were working in organisations related to the construction industry,
and economic sustainability into consideration when formulating con
including financial institutions (3.61%), technology enterprises
struction contracts in the early stages of the project (Belfitt et al., 2011).
(7.23%), universities/research institutions (10.84%), governments
(3.61%). Respondents held different positions or roles in their respective
4.3.2. Environmental drivers
organisations, with senior positions such as procurement department
The results in Table 7 clearly shows that respondents consider
managers and project managers accounting for 16.87% and 9.64%,
environmental drivers as the most important, as the average score for
respectively, while budget specialists, senior engineers and architects
this question was 4.33, the highest score of the four-dimensional drivers.
accounted for 22.89%, 8.43% and 3.61%, respectively. More than half of
the respondents had more than ten years of work experience. All the
information suggests that the data are reliable and meaningful for the Table 6
Respondents’ perception of the relationship between the SDGs and the con
study.
struction industry.
N Mean Standard deviation t Sig one-tailed
4.2. Understanding of the SDGs and the construction industry 83 4.39 0.85 4.12 0.000**
*p < 0.05 **p < 0.01.

The respondents were asked about their opinion on the contribution
Fig. 1. Respondents’ perception of the contribution of construction industry to the realisation of the SDGs.
6
Table 7
Summary analysis of drivers of SP implementation.
Category Item N Mean Standard deviation Single one-tailed Rank
Political driver Government policy 83 4.18 0.68 0.018* 1

Regulation and legislation 83 4.17 0.76 0.047* 2
Environment driver Pollution reduction 83 4.39 0.76 0.000** 2
Forest management 83 4.18 0.84 0.054 4
Resource management 83 4.34 0.77 0.000** 3
Waste management 83 4.41 0.80 0.000** 1
Social driver Organisational culture 83 4.05 0.83 0.596 2
Reputation 83 3.90 0.86 0.313 3
Community and employee’s health and safety and standard 83 4.18 0.74 0.028* 1
Economic driver Cost-effectiveness 83 4.22 0.77 0.012* 1
Competitive pressure 83 4.02 0.81 0.787 3
Business benefits 83 4.12 0.80 0.175 2
*p < 0.05 **p < 0.01.
This finding also reflects that those environmental issues caused by the minimise the probability of accidents (Opoku and Ahmed, 2014).
industry have gained attention. It is also worth noting that there is not Furthermore, improving air quality by reducing toxic materials will
much difference between the agreement ratings for the different envi enhance efficiency and provide a comfortable living environment (Khan
ronmental drivers, suggesting that each item under this category is et al., 2018). The building environment and its operation, on the other
essential. Besides, Cronbach’s alpha test score under this category was hand, play an essential role in the sense of security for people (Dempsey
0.940, showing good internal consistency between the objects. “Waste et al., 2011).
management” was found to be the strongest motivator for SP imple The mean values for “organisation culture” [mean value = 4.05; p =
mentation, with a Mean value of 4.41 (p-value < 0.05). Evidence 0.596 > 0.05] and “reputation” [mean value = 3.90; p = 0.313 > 0.05],
showed that the construction industry generates a significant proportion were relatively low among the drivers of SP. The results reflected that
of the total waste in many countries. The figures recorded in the liter social sustainability was yet to be appreciated in the organisational
ature revealed the waste production quota for China (40%), the UK culture. Agbesi et al. (2018) suggested that organisational culture would
(44%), Brazil (40%), Australia (44%), and Canada (27%) (Oyedele et al., affect the adoption of SP. Organisational culture is an important force
2014; Jin et al., 2017; Ajayi and Oyedele, 2017). The CDW mainly shaping employee awareness and motivating SP practices (Agbesi et al.,
consisted of concrete, ceramic materials, mortar, masonry, and pack 2018). Belfitt et al. (2011) suggested that reputation is a vehicle for
aging materials such as paper, plastic, and wood (Gálvez-Martos et al., contractors to meet the environmental and social requirements within
2018; Zhao et al., 2010) accounted for about 30–35% of the costs of the supply chain. The survey findings revealed that sustainability was
construction activities Hussin et al. (2013). However, landfilling re still not a fundamental performance that clients and consumers
mains the leading practice for disposing of CDW (Ajayi and Oyedele, considered when selecting contractors.
2017). Proper waste management could reduce the negative impact of
construction activities on the environment and create better economic 4.3.4. Economic drivers
benefits. Numerous researchers have revealed the initial cost of adopting
“Pollution reduction” and “resource management” are the other two sustainable construction practices to be high. Nonetheless, considering
key drivers, with a Mean value of 4.39 (p-value < 0.05) and 4.34 (p- the total costs from the perspective of the lifecycle of construction
value < 0.05), respectively. “Forest management” [Mean value = 4.18; projects, SP can save the operation and maintenance costs of buildings
p-value > 0.05] received less attention compared to other drivers. (Iles and Ryall, 2016). The economic drivers of SP, however, should not
Timber harvesting for construction activities has contributed to the loss be overlooked. Among three economic drivers, “cost-effectiveness”
of natural forests even though the industry requires resources, such as [mean value = 4.22; p = 0.012 < 0.05] received the highest score, which
steel and cement, which generate pollutants and greenhouse gases (Azzi is consistent with the findings of Iles and Ryall (2016). Also, the result of
et al., 2015). The selection of more efficient materials and products to the Cronbach’s alpha test of 0.819 confirmed the internal consistency
meet the environmental requirements at the design stage would lead to among the items under this category.
pollution reduction and better resource management, creating envi SP emphasised Value for Money (VFM), which could motivate
ronmental benefits. project stakeholders to purchase more efficiently by selecting renewable
and sustainable materials, and green equipment (Khan et al., 2018).
4.3.3. Social drivers Again, market differentiation was a great enabler for organisations to
Compared to other aspects of SP drivers, respondents gave the lowest transform their strategies and practices (Belfitt et al., 2011). Companies
average Mean rating to social drivers as4.04, showing that respondents with experience in SP practices could have a competitive advantage
might lack awareness and understanding of the relationship between when introducing sustainable procurement and tendering criteria.
social drivers and the concept of SP or what social benefits SP could Under this circumstance, private clients and the government played an
bring. The Cronbach’s alpha test under this category was 0.743, con essential role in the market as regulators. The survey results revealed
firming the internal consistency between the social enablers of SP. that while companies recognised that cost-effectiveness was an advan
The social driver “community and employee’s health and safety’s tage, companies were yet to see obvious business benefits that would
standard” received the highest rating on average [mean value = 4.18; p- motivate them to implement SP, further demonstrating that competitive
value = 0.028 < 0.05]. The quality of life of both community members pressures were yet to be developed.
and employees should not be overlooked. “Equitable access and the
sustainability of the community itself” are two critical dimensions of 4.4. Barriers to SP implementation
social sustainability (Dempsey et al., 2011). From the context of the
construction industry, there is the need to consider respect for em Table 8 presents respondents’ perceptions on the significant barriers
ployees, cooperation, and the impact of construction activities on the to the implementation of SP identified from the literature. The Relative
local communities, whiles containing the rule that provides a healthy Importance Index (RII) was calculated, and the importance and their
and ambient working environment for the workers in the SP, which can respective rankings are presented. Also, the Cronbach’s alpha test score
7
Table 8 4.5. Sustainable procurement practices contribution to the realisation of

RII of barriers to SP implementation. the SDGs
∑n
Barriers i=1 Wi
RII =
AN In terms of the significance of sustainable procurement in construc
Total N A*N RII Rank tion towards the realisations of the SDG, the value of RII calculated
(Table 9) shows that all the identified practices played a significant role
Insufficient policies, regulations, 347 83 415 0.836 1
incentives in realising the SDG 12. Also, Cronbach’s alpha test score was 0.935,
Lack of funding 340 83 415 0.819 2 showing good internal consistency under this category. The results show
Lack of knowledge 323 83 415 0.778 4 that the most effective SP practice to realise the SDG 12 is “material
Passive organisational culture 316 83 415 0.761 6 reuse” [RII of 0.867]. “Waste segregation” [RII = 0.846], “water con
Lack of guidance 320 83 415 0.771 5
Lack of awareness, information, 327 83 415 0.788 3
servation” [RII = 0.841] and “construction and demolition waste (CDW)
commitment, and demand recycling” [RII = 0.839], ranked 4th, 5th and 6th respectively. The re
Poor technical capacity 304 83 415 0.733 7 sults showed that most people recognise these as significant measures to
achieve resource efficiency and the need for resource efficiency in
construction activities. However, “logistics management” [RII = 0.790]
was 0.867, showing good internal consistency under this category.
ranked as the 9th important practice and “landfill tax and aggregate tax”
The barrier “insufficient policies, regulations, incentives” [RII =
[RII = 0.769] as the 12th out of 15 practices, indicating that there is
0.836] was perceived as the most significant barrier to implementing SP.
currently insufficient legislation and policy, as well as incomplete reg
This finding affirms the studies of Shen et al. (2017) in China. The role of
ulatory measures and guidance. South Korea’s recycling rate of CDW
government in facilitating procurement practices is undoubtedly
was about 98% in 2011, and Japan’s was over 90% since 2008 (Akhtar
regarded as very important. For the construction sector, China intro
and Sarmah, 2018). In recent years, the recycling rate in China has only
duced Civil Building Energy Conversation regulations in 2008, but the
been nearly 10% (Forward, 2020). Compared to China’s two neighbours
procurement policy for green buildings and green building materials has
(South Korea and Japan), China’s construction industry is still at a very
just been piloted since 2020. Although sustainability criteria have been
early stage of waste management. Recycled aggregates from CDW can be
introduced into Chinese politics and law, SP is yet to become a legal
applied to base materials for road construction, hardcore for foundation
concept in China’s public procurement laws or other relevant laws as the
work, foundations/fills for drainage systems, aggregates for concrete
Chinese SP was still in its infancy stage (Cao and Zhou, 2014). A lack of
manufacture and general bulk filling (Zhao et al., 2010). The ambition of
enforcement of the legislation and incentives is a considerable obstacle
SDG 12 to achieve resource efficiency required all stakeholders ought to
to promoting SP practices.
work together from the beginning of the lifecycle and to develop waste
“Lack of funding” [RII = 0.819] was perceived as the second most
management strategies for the reuse and recycling of materials and
significant barrier. This result confirms the prejudice of industry prac
components (Osmani, 2012).
titioners against sustainable construction practices. Fearing high initial
“Sustainable design” [RII of 0.858] was rated the second significant
expenditures or additional costs or failing to understand the need for
procurement practice towards the realising of SDG 12. This revealed that
sustainability. Many practitioners, mainly those responsible for capital
the concept of sustainable design has become increasingly popular in the
budgeting, prefer to take the lowest cost option and limit spending on
Chinese construction industry. Many architects and engineers believe
sustainable construction in the procurement process (Sourani and
that it can minimise environmental impact by delivering sustainable
Sohail, 2011). However, contractors who are SMEs pursue short-term
buildings (Azzi et al., 2015). The green roof is an excellent example of
benefits to survive in the market. This result again reinforces the con
sustainable design, reducing building energy loss, reusing rainwater,
flict between SP from a long-term perspective and cost reduction, which
and providing an ambient environment (Nguyen et al., 2019). “BIM”
has been discussed in the previous social driver section of this paper.
was perceived as the 8th significant practice (RII = 0.795). BIM is in the
“Lack of awareness, information, commitment and demand” [RII =
promotion phase in China and is not yet mandatory in construction
0.788], “lack of knowledge” [RII = 0.778], and “lack of guidance” [RII
projects. The integration of BIM not only enables sustainable design,
= 0.771], ranked 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively. The development of SP
must be applied to local characteristics. However, it is challenging to
build a comprehensive database and mechanism to measure sustainable Table 9
criteria with local factors (Ruparathna and Hewage, 2015). There is lack RII of Sustainable Procurement practices.
of commitment from the sector towards the adoption of sustainable Sustainable Procurement practice
∑n
i=1 Wi
procurement. Thus, clear guidance, policy and regulations for con ‘ RII =
AN
struction that defines clear sustainable issues during the procurement Total N A*N RII Rank
stage is essential to develop SP practices.
E-procurement 302 83 415 0.728 15
“Passive organisational culture” was perceived as the 6th significant Fuel-efficient machinery, low-emission 355 83 415 0.855 3
barrier to SP implementation. The passive organisational culture results technology, and low-carbon production
from change resistance within organisations. Sourani and Sohail (2011) technology
stated that resistance exists in clients, suppliers, and investors. Top Sustainable design 356 83 415 0.858 2
BIM 330 83 415 0.795 8
management commitment, cost constraints and insufficient guidance
Logistics management 328 83 415 0.790 9
influence clients’ decisions. The demand and willingness of clients Material reuse 360 83 415 0.867 1
directly influence the procurement within the supply chain. Investors Waste segregation 351 83 415 0.846 4
are more concerned about the return on their investment rather than Construction and demolition waste (CDW) 348 83 415 0.839 6
recycling
sustainable issues (Sourani and Sohail, 2011). “Poor technical capacity”
Landfill tax and aggregate tax 319 83 415 0.769 12
was rated the 7th significant barrier. It is about the capacity to identify Water conservation 349 83 415 0.841 5
criteria for sustainability. This result suggested that the research and WLC approach 327 83 415 0.788 10
development of SP are inadequate, which may be the result of the The adoption of local suppliers and 307 83 415 0.740 14
insufficient investment of funds and resources. contractors
Vocational skills training 331 83 415 0.798 7
Crime and anti-social behaviour 309 83 415 0.745 13
mitigation
Job creation 325 83 415 0.783 11
8
taking into account sustainable issues such as materials used and energy “material reuse”, “sustainable design”, “fuel-efficient machinery, low-
performance during the design, construction and operation phases but emission technology and low-carbon production technology”, “waste
also contributes to more effective construction project management segregation” and “water conservation” were the top 5 significant sus
such as cost management, resource management and quality manage tainable criteria that should be considered in the SP process. These re
ment (Azzi et al., 2015). sults revealed a similar indication to the drivers of SP implementation,
The 3rd significant practice is “fuel-efficient machinery, low- that industry practitioners are more concerned about environmental
emission technology and low-carbon production technology” [RII of issues than economic and social issues. In addition, the responses to the
0.855], while “e-procurement” was ranked last. This revealed that open-ended questions suggested that appropriate measurement mecha
people ignored the importance of changing how they work in terms of nisms and tax relief for the companies involved were feasible. At the
technical innovation. Traditionally, transactions between stakeholders same time, it was also recommended that successful pilot projects could
require a lot of paperwork, most of which becomes trash at the end of the positively impact the business environment. It was also argued that the
project, except “vocational skills training”, “WLC approach”, “job cre quality of personnel was crucial. These were suggested measures that
ation”, “crime and anti-social behaviour mitigation” and “the adoption could promote the development of SP practices in the construction in
of local suppliers and contractors” ranked after 7th. This also revealed dustry. To break out barriers, governments should cooperate with in
that people recognise the industry’s impact on the environment but pay dustry stakeholders and developers to develop measurement
less attention to sustainable development’s economic and social di mechanisms, policies and guidelines, which could be the reference and
mensions. Furthermore, people do not consider sustainable develop foundation for the adoption of SP.
ment from a long-term perspective when implementing SP measures in Based on the above analysis, the Chinese construction industry could
the construction industry. implement several SP practices to promote the realisation of some tar
gets of SDG 12. In the Chinese context, the adoption of material reuse,
5. Discussions sustainable design, fuel-efficient machinery, low-emission technology,
low-carbon production technology, waste segregation, and water con
The SDG targets and indicators provide a great opportunity for the versation were practices associated with natural resource efficiency
sustainability journey of the construction sector. According to the UN, (Target 12.2). In addition to the chemicals and waste responsible man
the SDG goal 12 matters for all businesses including construction busi agement (Target 12.4), they are reducing waste generation (Target 12.5)
nesses and that it’s in the interest of business organisation to find and increasing technological capacity (Target 12. a). Meanwhile, gov
innovative solutions that will enable sustainable consumption and pro ernments should take the lead responsibility for providing legal and
duction Such strategies should identify key areas within the value chain financial support, developing guidance, databases, and measurement
where the implementation of any initiative could have the highest op mechanisms (Target 12.1, Target 12.7, Target 12.c) for organisations to
portunity to improve the environmental and social impact of procure better implement SP in the industry (Target 12.6) and raising awareness
ment activities (UN, 2016). and understanding of sustainable development and lifestyles (12.8). In
. China’s construction sector has the highest carbon emissions of any addition, lifecycle approaches (Target 12.4–12.6) and economic and
construction sector in the world (Huang et al., 2018). Total carbon social issues deserve more attention in promoting SDG 12.
emissions from the building lifecycle were 4.93 billion tons, constituting In general, identifying drivers, barriers to the SP implementation,
51.3% of the country’s carbon emissions in 2018 (Wang et al., 2018). and SP practices revealed that the industry practitioners should pay
Therefore, the construction industry in China should take the primary more attention to the social and economic criteria while promoting SP,
responsibility in achieving the sustainable development goals and car and the roles of governments were very significant in promoting SP in
bon neutrality. construction. Furthermore, SP practices could support the realisation of
The purpose of implementing SP is aligned with SDG 12, and the several SDG 12 targets, including Target 12.1, 12.2, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6,
study first identified the drivers and barriers to implementing SP in the 12.7, 12.8, 12.a and 12.c. The construction industry is known for its high
construction industry. It then clarified which SP practices in the con material consumption, CO2 emissions and energy consumption. The
struction industry can influence the realisation of SDG 12. In terms of industry must therefore take relevant approaches such as the adoption of
drivers, the results showed that “government policy” and “regulation sustainable procurement practices to contribute to the achievement of
and legislation” were both essential. Political drivers, such as “waste SDGs (Wieser et al., 2019).
management”, “community and employee’s health and safety and
standard”, and “cost-effectiveness” were the most critical environ 6. Conclusions
mental, social and economic drivers respectively. The social drivers
were attached less importance compared to other drivers in general. The UN SDGs are highly relevant to all humanity and the SDG 12
This suggested that the implementation of SP in construction was being aims to improve the quality of life while increasing the benefits of
driven by government policies and regulations and a growing awareness economic activities by minimising resource consumption, environ
of the economic and environmental benefits. mental degradation, and pollution throughout the lifecycle of products
The study findings showed that “insufficient policies, regulations, and services. Whereas the construction industry was an essential player
and incentives”, “lack of funding”, and “lack of awareness, information, in supporting sustainable development, SP incorporated sustainability
commitment and demand” were the three most significant barriers to SP criteria into business activities, policies, and strategies. Given this, the
implementation, indicating that the obstacles were mainly external study was undertaken to evaluate the construction industry’s role in
factors. In the open-ended question of other barriers to SP imple achieving the SDGs and the role of SP in achieving SDG 12 in the con
mentation, some respondents suggested that the conflict between en struction industry. More importantly, the study found that several SP
terprises existing benefits and sustainable development was also a practices in the construction sector were significant in achieving most of
barrier. This revealed that organisations currently do not receive suffi the SDG 12 targets, such as resource efficiency measures, sustainable
cient legal and financial support from the government to implement the design, the application of fuel-efficient machinery, low-emission, and
relevant sustainable procurement strategies, and there was a lack of low-carbon production technology.
incentives. In view of this, governments should adopt a more active role The findings of the study suggested that the promotion of the SDGs
in promoting SP by exerting more mandatory and regulatory pressures and SP in the Chinese construction industry was currently insufficient.
on businesses and creating a positive business environment to drive The study also revealed that environmental sustainability gained more
demand. policy support than social and economic sustainability dues to the ease
Regarding SP practices contribution to the realisation of SDG 12, of measuring environmental sustainability measures. With governments
9
increasing efforts on providing mandatory policies, legislations, regu analysis, Investigation, Writing – review & editing. Jiaying Deng:
lations and advocation, organisations within the construction industry Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation,
could change their conservative attitude and style of implementation of Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization.
SP to promote sustainable development – the realisation of carbon Abbas Elmualim: Writing – review & editing. Samuel Ekung: Writing –
neutrality and the SDG 12. review & editing. Aseel A. Hussien: Writing – review & editing. Salem
Whiles other papers have been written on the driver/challenges of Buhashima Abdalla: Writing – review & editing.
sustainable procurement, this paper contributes to knowledge-
increasing in the field of sustainable procurement in construction and
how it specifically connects with SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and Declaration of competing interest
production). Most research on sustainable procurement in construction
examine the broader context of sustainable development goals but this The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
paper is one of the few research papers that provides empirical research interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
specifically on sustainable procurement and SDG 12 in the context of the work reported in this paper.
construction. The construction industry has struggled to satisfy the UN’s
sustainable development goals and targets with its resource-intensive Data availability
nature. The construction sector’s sustainable transformation of pro
duction and consumption standards is urgent and necessary. Therefore, Data will be made available on request.
this study is meaningful for both the academic community and the in
dustry. This study contributed to the growing area of literature on the Appendix A. Supplementary data
SDGs within the construction industry, with a particular focus on SDG
12. The analysis and summary of the literature on the SDGs and the Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
construction industry present a comprehensive basis for the current state org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134294.
of exploring the SDGs and increasing understanding and awareness of
the construction industry’s role in achieving the SDGs. This study also References
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Journal of Cleaner Production 376 (2022) 134294

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Cleaner Production

Sustainable procurement in construction and the realisation of the

1. Introduction planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships” (Jayasooria, 2016). Thus,

Table 1 seek to address the three aspects of sustainability (social, environmental

*p < 0.05 **p < 0.01.

Political driver Government policy 83 4.18 0.68 0.018* 1

*p < 0.05 **p < 0.01.

Table 8 4.5. Sustainable procurement practices contribution to the realisation of

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