An Environmental Management Framework for the Construction Industry

Environmental deterioration has been one of the most deliberated issues in recent times all over the world. These environmental challenges have been instigated by the failure of development strategies, unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. This has motivated the pursuit of a new footpath. As a result, a new focus has been placed on sustainable development. The pursuit of sustainable development has put the construction industry under the spotlight, in view of the fact that the creation, operation and disposal of the built environment dominate humanity's impact on the natural world. Construction is a major and primary sector of most economies and its consideration of the issues of sustainability covers a huge spectrum of the sector. However, the focus of these construction industries is largely on economic growth and improving the quality of life of the people whilst environmental protection is entirely downgraded. Thus, this book proposes an environmental management framework that demonstrates how environmental concerns can be incorporated into construction activities to balance the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environment).