Assessment of the Factors Influencing the Green Professionals of Construction Industry in Purchasing Green Products in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The construction industry is a major industry in Sri Lanka that consumes a large amount of material
and energy. The production of construction materials results in many environmental issues such as
natural resource depletion, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, and so on.
Therefore, construction industry professionals should realize the importance of environmentally
friendly construction materials. In the process of manufacturing construction materials, it is vital to
maintain environmental, social, and economic sustainability. With that background, this study was
aimed to assess the factors influencing the green professionals of the construction industry in
purchasing green products in Sri Lanka. A purposive sampling technique was used to select green
professionals of Green Building Council of Sri Lanka (GBCSL) and primary data was gathered using
a close-ended questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze 200 valid
responses where interest in purchasing green products as the dependent variable and education and
awareness, the difference compared to conventional products, sustainability, transparency, and price
as independent variables. According to the survey, the majority of professionals (65.5%) represented
the private sector whereas the minority of professionals (4%) represented the non-governmental
sector. Further, 98.5% of green professionals in GBCSL were interested in purchasing green products.
Logistic regression analysis revealed that sustainability (p>0.000), transparency (p>0.049), and price
(p>0.022) are significantly affecting the green professionals of the construction industry in
purchasing green products. Moreover, education and awareness, and the difference compared to
conventional products were not significant determinants among green professionals over purchasing
of green products. In conclusion, sustainability, transparency, and price are influencing the personal
perspective of green professionals to purchase green production materials in Sri Lanka. Hence, this
study recommends that construction material manufacturers should ensure the product’s
environmental friendliness, accurate information and affordability and accurate information in order
to ensure the long-term sustainability.

Keywords: Construction industry, Green products, Green professionals, Environmental issues, Sustainability