Investigating sustainable construction : benefits, challenges and strategies

Tung, Liz Quay (2025) Investigating sustainable construction : benefits, challenges and strategies. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Driving sustainable construction in the Malaysian industry is essential to address growing challenges. The construction sector is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, waste generation and resource depletion in Malaysia, which makes sustainability a pressing issue. Although awareness of green practices is increasing, adoption is still limited due to high initial costs, lack of knowledge and restricted access to green products. This study examines sustainable construction in Malaysia by identifying its benefits, assessing the main challenges and analysing strategies that support adoption. A quantitative approach was used through a structured questionnaire distributed to developers, consultants and contractors in the Klang Valley, with 120 valid responses collected. Data were analysed using Cronbach’s alpha reliability test, mean ranking, Shapiro-Wilk Test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s correlation test in SPSS. The findings highlight three main benefits: health improvement, carbon footprint reduction, and waste minimisation. Key challenges include high upfront costs, low consumer awareness and weak policy enforcement. Other than that, the key strategies are increase incentives, improve regulation and policies, and loan with low interest rate. Factor analysis revealed five strategic dimensions: capacity building and innovation, innovative financing and smart delivery, institutional and organisational support, policy and environmental governance, and collaboration and market development. These findings contribute to policy development and industry practice by providing evidence-based recommendations to strengthen sustainable construction adoption. The originality of this study lies in bridging the gap between theoretical sustainability goals and practical applications in Malaysia’s construction sector.

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