Studie zur aktuellen Situation des Nachhaltigkeitsverständnisses in Bauunternehmen

Survey of sustainability in construction companies

Sustainability in German construction mainly focuses on the building and its lifecycle. For a holistic sustainability approach corporate sustainability has to be considered in addition. This means implementation of environmental, social and economic aspects in business processes. Currently sustainability mainly remains unconsidered in construction companies in general as well as a decision criterion in construction tendering in specific.
The study reveals that corporate sustainability is gaining more and more importance in German construction industry but is operated in different ways. However, operational implementation mainly focuses on environmental and social aspects. Economic aspects as a competitive advantage remain unattended. Idealistic and corporate drivers for implementing sustainability in construction companies are opposed to barriers as limited capital and personal capacities as well as missing understanding. In order to improve a holistic sustainability approach increasing transparency, further understanding of corporate sustainability and appropriate measures for implementing and assessing corporate sustainability are of prime importance.