A call for papers on Motivating and Empowering Construction Stakeholders to Target Sustainable Development Goals has been issued for a special issue of Built Environment Project and Asset Management (BEPAM), which is a CIB recognised journal. Deadline 16th January 2025
Introduction
The Built Environment is directly or indirectly linked to most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, our journey towards the much-publicised SDGs has been slow and difficult, given the capacity and capability shortfalls of construction industry stakeholders and competing demands on their limited resources. Significant advancements in policies, management systems and technologies have failed to bridge the critical gap in effectively motivating and empowering construction industry stakeholders whose primary focus is on organisational and project priorities, to meaningfully work towards the SDGs.
The staggering projections of population increase (United Nations, 2022), trigger heightened demands for building stock (Unuigbe et al., 2022). While policies and technological innovations are pivotal in selecting optimal routes towards SDGs, to be successful, our journeys also need active stakeholder participation (Beck et al., 2023; Ebekozien et al., 2023; Eweje et al., 2021). Therefore, effective engagement and motivational strategies are imperatives for the successful adoption of sustainability practices (Beck et al., 2023; Opoku et al., 2022). However, the industry faces many challenges in translating high-level goals into proactive practices. Such recent studies also reveal need for better approaches to drive stakeholder commitment. Hence, this special issue aims to address these critical gaps by providing new insights and practical strategies with pragmatic mechanisms for enhancing stakeholder engagement and capacity-building towards SDGs.
Publication
The papers published in this special issue are expected to add valuable new knowledge in showing how to effectively motivate and equip stakeholders, ranging from policymakers to on-site workers, to actively pursue SDGs, along with organisational and project priorities. It is also expected to demonstrate strategies and innovative frameworks for inspiring commitment and empowering stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to overcome common barriers to meeting SDGs. Moreover, it is envisaged to elicit novel approaches to translating theory into practice, with conveniently actionable strategies and tools for stakeholders. This special issue will therefore bridge persisting gaps between high-level sustainability goals and everyday practices, offering fresh well-focused insights and practical solutions that had been previously overlooked. This emphasis on stakeholder motivation and empowerment is expected to lead to game-changing approaches that will help accelerate our journey towards achieving SDGs.
Anticipated themes
The following is an indicative, hence a non-exhaustive, list of anticipated themes that could be explored in different papers in this Special Issue:
- Policies and regulatory frameworks for sustainable construction
- Strategies and incentives to overcome barriers and motivate construction stakeholders towards achieving SDGs
- Empowerment and capacity building of stakeholders for sustainable construction and towards achieving SDGs
- Stakeholder collaboration and partnerships for sustainability in construction
- Effective collaboration models for sustainable construction
- Integrating sustainability objectives and SDGs into construction supply chain sourcing and management mechanisms
- Procurement and contractual mechanisms for promoting sustainability in construction
- Identifying and addressing short-term and longer-term challenges to achieving SDGs in the construction sector at a broader (even global) level
- Adapting digital technologies to facilitate green buildings, passive designs and other contributors to sustainability and achieving SDGs
- Training and development for empowering sustainability in construction
- Transforming industry culture, including stakeholder and end-user mind-sets to target SDGs in the construction sector
- Enhancing public engagement for sustainable construction, and societal participation and acceptance of sustainable construction practices
- Business case development for sustainable development in the construction sector
- Alignment of corporate goals with SDGs in the construction sector
We will welcome submissions on any related topics in the context of the above themes.
Guidelines and further information
Guidelines and detailed information on the publication and call for submissions is available here
Closing date for manuscript submission: 16th January, 2025
