ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: A REVIEW

The construction industry, as one of almost every economy’s major generators of environmental impact, can contribute in large measure to achieving the goals of sustainability. However, most publications in this field deal with sustainability with reference to selecting construction materials and improvements in the operating phase of buildings. When considering ecological sustainability the focus has to be extended from the finished building to the building process. Therefore the actors of the construction sector who are responsible for the production process have to be studied: the construction companies. The goal of this paper is to study the state of ecologically sustainable corporate business management in construction. The state of application of elements of environmental management systems (EMS) is used as an indicator of the current situation in German construction companies. EMS can help continuously to environmentally improve the operating processes of the firms. A broad survey about the extent of EMS has been conducted considering the barriers and drivers. In general, a relatively low interest in EMS and a lack of knowledge is noticeable within the sector. As a result, strategic recommendations are made on how to promote environmental management to foster sustainable thinking in the German construction industry.

Download Full-text

STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS OF THE BENEFITS AND BARRIERS OF IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN THE NIGERIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management ◽

10.3846/16486897.2015.1127251 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 79-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Victoria O. OWOLANA ◽

Colin A. BOOTH

Keyword(s):

Environmental Management ◽

Waste Management ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Online Survey ◽

Small And Medium Enterprises ◽

Weighted Average ◽

Iso 14001 ◽

Management Systems ◽

Environmental Management Systems ◽

Technological Support

This study investigates stakeholder opinions of the major benefits and barriers of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to the Nigerian construction industry, and the perceived issues to EMS adoption among organisations in the industry. The study highlights the environment as an important stakeholder in the industry because it affects and is affected by construction activities on a regular basis. It identifies the importance of ISO 14001 in ensuring adequate consideration for the environment is maintained on construction projects. The research adopts a quantitative approach by analysing responses from an online survey among construction industry professionals in Nigeria. The questions on the survey were drawn from a similar study carried out in Asia and the results were analysed using the Weighted Average and Standard Deviation statistical approach. Results reveal that the major benefits of EMS to the Nigerian construction industry were improved efficiency in waste management and environmental protection, as well as an overall increase in employee motivation due to better opportunities for training and development. Lack of technological support in organisations and the high cost of implementing EMS were viewed as the major barriers towards its uptake in construction companies. The findings also indicate that a feasible EMS implementation strategy must not ignore the unique nature of the Nigerian construction industry, which comprises mostly small and medium enterprises. The study concludes by recommending the use of a waste management plan based on the Reuse-reducerecycle-Recover model and an employee training plan to ensure continuous improvement in the organisation’s environmental management strategy.

Download Full-text