Examining Built Environment Professionals′ Willingness to Pay for Green Buildings in Ghana

Abstract

The participation of built environment (BE) professionals is essential in pushing the agenda of green buildings (GBs) in the construction industry. Considering willingness to pay (WTP) in light of these professionals plays a role in the management of the construction industry as one of the major energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases. This study, from an extended perspective of green building, seeks to examine the factors that influence Built Environment (BE) Professionals’ willingness to pay for green buildings in Ghana. A questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of the professionals on the theme under investigation. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to obtain 153 responses from BE professionals such as architects, quantity surveyors, construction managers, and project managers in Kumasi and Accra. Both descriptive (mean, standard deviation, and standard error) and inferential statistics (one-sample t-test) were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that perceived benefit stood out as the topmost factor that BE professionals consider in their willingness to pay for green buildings. This paper could serve as an eye-opener to aid in the development of strategies and influencing mechanisms to stimulate the interest of various groups of BE professionals in delivering a more environmentally friendly construction system. This study contributes to the state-of-the-art studies regarding willingness to pay for GBs. The global literature is largely focused on the willingness of household consumers/clients to pay for GBs to the detriment of the BE professionals, who play key role in GB developments, and encourage their adoption. The novelty of this study stems from the fact that it is the first time the views of BE professionals are examined when it comes to their willingness to pay for green buildings.