A key component of green building diffusion is green building research. Globally, sustainable and green building research is advancing. However, there exists scanty research output on green building diffusion at the regional level. This paper presents a critical review of the existing body of knowledge on green building research, focusing on the African context. The major areas covered include green building research study trends, common topics and cross-country contributions to the body of knowledge. The study highlights the social aspects and economic issues of green building adoption and implementation and tailored green building rating tools. The study deployed a triple bottom line outlay in presenting the findings derived from extant research. In particular, the study uncovered that the coverage of African green building research is similar to that at the global level. Moreover, although social and economic factors influencing green buildings’ implementation were noted, environment-oriented research remained dominant. The study recommends that forthcoming scholars need to advance research knowledge on the identification of cost–benefit evidence of adopting green buildings, application of information communication technology in green building research and theoretical insights underpinning green building diffusion.

Green buildings have proven to be essential contributors to the sustainability of buildings in the construction industry. However, in developing economies, the rate of green building adoption is slow. Moreover, the factors linked to a relatively slow adoption rarely feature in the literature. This study seeks to bridge the gap by first exploring factors influencing the adoption of green buildings. Second, analysing strategies and preferences determining the adoption of green building principles and lastly, exploring case-based opportunities for their adoption in Tanzania. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from twelve key informants. The qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that the most influential factors in green building adoption are related to key organizational decisions. Moreover, social and environmental factors are more related to green building adoption than economic factors. In addition, energy and water efficiency are the most commonly adopted sustainability features, while certified materials, recycling and reusing are rarely implemented. Since green building adoption is still in its infancy, this study informs policymakers, professional bodies, developers, and researchers of the empirically supported factors for green building adoption. The conclusions can be amplified within the sustainability movement. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the precursors of green building adoption, which is increasingly becoming a paradigm shift in the construction sector. The study is the first to present an in-depth analysis of the real-life factors influencing the adoption of green buildings in Tanzania.

Purpose While green buildings are lauded for their resource efficiency and economic benefits, the absence of practical evidence impedes their widespread adoption in developing regions. This study presents an economic evaluation of green buildings’ performance using energy and water consumption data. The underlying motive is to shed light on the uncertainties surrounding the benefits of adopting green buildings. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted the quantitative approach by presenting the actual performance of green building energy and water usage. Moreover, the study employed the life cycle costing strategy to forecast cost savings. Findings The study demonstrated that green buildings have the potential to achieve significant energy savings ranging from 8 to 57% annually. The finding underscores green buildings’ resource efficiency and points to their positive economic impact. The study also reveals that green buildings can lead to substantial energy and water cost savings in the shorter and longer terms. Nevertheless, green certification alone does not guarantee energy savings. Originality/value Limited information exists regarding the economic advantages of green buildings in developing economies. This study addressed the prevailing research knowledge gap. The study provides data depicting the previous/historical, current and future performance of green buildings in a developing region.