Enhancing Sustainability: Life Cycle Assessment of UAE Buildings for Environmental Impact

This study addresses the limited adoption of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the UAE’s building sector and the challenges of enforcing governmental mandates. It proposes an enhanced LCA framework tailored to the UAE, with a focus on stakeholder engagement during the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) stage. A quantitative approach was used, employing an online survey to assess the theoretical, practical, and general knowledge of LCA among professionals in the UAE. The survey examined organizational interest in LCA, LCI practices, and the readiness of collected data for database conversion. The results highlighted no significant relationship between stakeholders’ professions and their knowledge of or interest in LCA. However, challenges and opportunities for adopting LCA were identified, providing the foundation for a customized framework. The findings underscore the importance of assessing LCA awareness among professionals, evaluating local data collection methods, and understanding the influence of stakeholder engagement on the LCI process. This engagement is crucial for the success of LCA implementation in the UAE. The research concludes by presenting a set of recommendations for conducting LCI analyses specific to the UAE, introducing a user-friendly framework that integrates stakeholder knowledge and practices, aiming to improve the practical application of LCA in the UAE’s construction industry.

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