Cultivating Sustainable Construction: Stakeholder Insights Driving Circular Economy Innovation for Inclusive Resource Equity
Karaca F. Tleuken A. Pineda-Martos R. Ros Cardoso S. Orel D. Askar R. Agibayeva A. Güemez E.G. Salles A. Varol H.A. Braganca L.
April 2024Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Buildings
2024#14Issue 4
Due to its intricate production processes, complex supply chains, and industry-specific characteristics, the construction industry faces unique challenges in adopting circular economy (CE) principles that promote resource equity. To address this issue, this study aims to delve into identifying stakeholders’ opinions and perceptions regarding key CE strategies across different stages of the building life cycle (BLC). Both European and non-European stakeholders within the “CircularB” COST Action network and beyond participated in this research. Three methods were employed to assess stakeholders’ opinions: an online survey, a structured survey with a semi-guided workshop, and creative thinking round table discussions. Natural language processing (NLP), specifically topic modelling and sentiment analysis, was used to analyse the data collected from the online survey, which gathered text-based opinions from 209 participants on the cost-benefit aspects of circularity strategies. The structured survey, which collected data from 43 workshop participants, evaluated the perceived importance of CE strategies across various BLC phases and assessed the adoption of selected CE strategies in current or past projects. Finally, the Six Thinking Hats® activity, employed in the round table discussions, generated ideas from 25 professionals regarding the broader implementation challenges and opportunities of CE in construction. The research findings highlight the need to bridge the gap between theory and practice by fostering active industry stakeholder involvement in the transition to a CE model. The analyses of the collected stakeholder opinions through the three activities contribute to proactive and collaborative efforts aimed at advancing resource equity in the construction sector and promoting just and inclusive resource use. In summary, this research offers a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders’ opinions on CE strategies and provides guidance for the development of targeted policies and strategies to accelerate the integration of CE principles in the construction industry.
circular economy , cost-benefit analysis , industry analysis , NLP , stakeholder perception , sustainability
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Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Departamento de Ingeniería Aeroespacial y Mecánica de Fluidos, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad de Sevilla, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1, Sevilla, 41005, Spain
ICATALIST S.L., Environmental Consulting Company, Calle Jacinto Benavente, Las Rozas de Madrid, 2A, 28232, Spain
Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI), Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
ISISE, ARISE, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Guimaraes, 4800-058, Portugal
Department of Civil Engineering
Departamento de Ingeniería Aeroespacial y Mecánica de Fluidos
ICATALIST S.L.
Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI)
ISISE
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