Exploring operational barriers and enabling conditions for green financing in the South African construction industry

Abstract

Green financing has emerged as an important mechanism for supporting environmentally sustainable construction by facilitating investment in projects that promote resource efficiency, climate resilience, and reduced environmental impacts. Despite growing policy attention, its effective utilisation within the South African construction industry remains constrained by a range of operational barriers. This study explores construction professionals’ perceptions of the operational barriers and enabling conditions associated with the utilisation of green financing for sustainable construction. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 44 construction professionals from the public and private sectors in South Africa. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, with Mean Item Scores and standard deviations used to rank respondents’ perceptions of the identified barriers and enabling conditions. Respondents perceived limited knowledge of green products and sustainable construction practices, inadequate sustainability-related education and training, and the high cost of green materials as the most significant operational barriers. The highest-ranked enabling conditions were long-term investment planning, increased awareness of green financing, the development of green financial products, and stronger collaboration among industry stakeholders. Based on these findings and the theoretical perspectives underpinning the study, a conceptual framework is proposed to synthesise the operational barriers and enabling conditions that may influence organisations’ preparedness to engage with green financing for sustainable construction. The study contributes to the sustainable finance and construction management literature by providing empirical evidence from the South African construction industry and advancing understanding of the organisational conditions associated with engagement with green financing. It also offers practical insights for strengthening organisational capability, knowledge development, institutional collaboration, and financial planning to support environmentally sustainable construction. The proposed framework provides a foundation for future research to empirically evaluate the conceptual relationships advanced in this study.