Due to the potential role of the construction industry in addressing the global challenge of climate change, stakeholders are beginning to develop the environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework. Prior to this, several assessment frameworks such as the building research establishment environmental assessment methods (BREEAM), LEED, and Green Star Certification amongst others have evolved to evaluate a development against an array of sustainability indicators. Through document analysis, this paper explores the extent sustainability assessment frameworks can help UK construction companies demonstrate their commitment to ESG targets. Findings show that although the BREEAM assessment framework captured environmental and social aspects to some extent, there appears to be much desired in its consideration for governance issues. Subsequent versions of the assessment frameworks should attempt to include some of these credits that are not currently included in the framework to guarantee stakeholders that the uptake of the framework in the decision‐making process would help to deliver ESG targets.

The neighbourhood sustainability assessment frameworks through which a proposed neighbourhood development can be evaluated against an array of sustainability indicators began to gain prominence in the first decade of the twenty-first century. However, how these frameworks align with the Bellagio STAMP is an area yet to be examined by existing studies to inform their better development and usage in the delivery of sustainable neighbourhoods. The purpose of this paper is to review selected neighbourhood sustainability assessment frameworks using the Bellagio STAMP with the aim of identifying areas for improvement, while also exploring the possibilities of adopting the Bellagio STAMP as a consensus approach and reference to sustainability assessment at the neighbourhood level. Adopting document analysis as a data collection method, the paper reviews BREEAM communities, LEED Neighbourhood Development, Pearl community rating system and Green Star communities using the Bellagio STAMP. Findings from the study revealed that some of the selected assessment frameworks align partially with the Bellagio STAMP in their development, while areas for improvement were identified. The study recommends that the Bellagio STAMP could offer helpful guidelines and procedure in conceptualising sustainability assessment at the neighbourhood level especially in developing countries where such a framework is yet to be conceived. This study adds to the sustainability assessment literature by operationalising the Bellagio STAMP leading to its better understanding and application in sustainability assessment either in practice or in theory.

Climate change presents one of the most significant challenges facing the world in the 21st century. In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass laws to end its contribution to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions; parliament passed legislation requiring the UK government to achieve its carbon neutrality commitment by 2050. This will require all industries, including the housing sector, which currently contributes around 14% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, to reduce their carbon emission contribution. One of the ways in which the housing sector plans to accomplish this is through delivering new zero carbon ready homes by 2050, at the latest. This study makes an innovative contribution to advancing the field of carbon neutral construction through its identification of the barriers to the UK in regards to their ability to deliver zero carbon homes (ZCH) and the provision of potential recommendations to overcome these barriers. To achieve this, a mixed-review method is used, combining a qualitative systematic analysis and a quantitative bibliometric approach. Several key barriers were identified and assigned to following key themes: legislative, socio-cultural, economic, financial, skills and knowledge, technical, industrial, environmental, and procurement factors. Legislative obstacles were found to be a primary barrier due to a lack of certainty, clarity, and clear definitions, as well as the removal and excess of government policies. Significantly, the findings reveal the under-researched impact of recent disruptive events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and economic factors in the UK, opening up novel avenues for exploring their implications. Overall, this study advances industry understanding and highlights innovative directions necessary to propel the sector towards realizing the UK’s legally-binding 2050 net zero target through the development of zero carbon ready homes.

Purpose: Urban centres have been argued to be crucial in the battle for sustainability. With more than half of the global population presently living in cities, the sustainability challenges of global warming, environmental degradation, social inequality, and economic recessions have continued to thrive. To this end, there have been efforts to revive and improve the existing physical and social structure of cities in a process known as urban regeneration. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of sustainability assessment frameworks in urban regeneration. Approach: Aligning with the positivism philosophical position, and using document analysis as a data collection method, the study discusses the state of the art of urban regeneration and its application in recent times. The study also reviewed selected neighbourhood sustainability assessment frameworks as a tool for decision-making towards sustainability to know the extent in which they capture the goals of urban regeneration. Findings: Findings showed that the uptake of the sustainability assessment frameworks could play a role in enhancing integration of local context, social wellbeing and economic prosperity, environmental quality, and stakeholder engagement at the neighbourhood level which are the main aspects of urban regeneration. Theoretical and practical implications: In theory, this paper establishes the assumption that with some revisions, sustainability assessment frameworks could serve as a tool for decision-making in urban regeneration process. Practise-wise, urban regeneration at the neighbourhood level can now be measured against sustainability benchmarks and indicators.

Understanding the term urban sustainability continues to dominate discourse in the built environment as societies explore how cities can be considered sustainable. Due to the increasing rate of urbanization, scholars argue that the battle for sustainability will be won or lost in cities; recognizing the crucial role that neighbourhoods can play as building blocks of urban areas. However, while the context-specificity of the several approaches to sustainability at the neighbourhood level has been recognised, no single accepted understanding of a sustainable neighbourhood has emerged. This paper explores institutional stakeholders’ understanding of a sustainable neighbourhood using questionnaire data from metropolitan Lagos. This aligns with the critical realism philosophical stance which believes that knowledge can be sourced through the perception of people with respect to an underlying structure based on their reality. The findings show variations in the perceptions with institutions having similar responsibilities differing in their understanding of the concept. It was unclear why a single common understanding was missing and why certain elements were more emphasised than others even in institutions having similar roles. Further research should explore the mechanisms at play in influencing these understandings and how they may differ in various urban contexts in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Productivity growth in the construction industry has lagged well behind that in the manufacturing sector in many nations. By incorporating lean principles into the construction sector, these challenges could be overcome. Lean construction aims to address this challenge by implementing lean principles in the construction industry. The chapter explores the concept of lean construction and how it links sustainability in the built environment. The goal of lean construction is to increase productivity in the construction industry by reducing costs and eliminating activities that do not deliver value. The application of lean processes and principles in construction can help in achieving the SDGs including SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities & communities) etc., as lean construction increases productivity, profits, and innovation. Lean construction emphasizes the generation of value in building and construction projects, with a strong emphasis on the prompt and dependable delivery of value.