Revisiting Social Aspects of Green Buildings: Barriers, Drivers, and Benefits

The construction industry is recognized as one of the primary contributors to substantial environmental concerns and influences sustainable development's economic and social aspects. Green buildings have been shown a remedy to decelerate the detrimental impacts of construction on the triple bottom lines of sustainability and have therefore gained growing attention and significance in recent decades. Numerous efforts have been made to study green buildings' economic and environmental aspects. Nonetheless, not equal attention has been devoted to the social aspects of green buildings. This could be attributed to a lack of knowledge or limited understanding of social barriers, drivers, and benefits of green buildings. Failing to address and implement social aspects effectively can defeat the purpose of sustainable development in the construction industry. This study presents the preliminary outcomes of a bigger comprehensive literature review on green buildings' social barriers, drivers, and benefits. The paper intends to contribute to a more profound and thorough understanding of social sustainability in construction and can assist architects, engineers, and other construction professionals in their green buildings' decision-making processes.

Presented at the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) 2021 Annual Conference