A Meta-analysis of Climate Risk Mitigation Strategies in the Construction Sector

Isaac Akomea-Frimpong¹, Xiaohua Jin¹, Robert Osei-Kyei¹, Amma Kyewaa Agyekum², John Taden³, Alexander Baah Amoakwa⁴, Comfort Owusu Kedjah⁴

1. Western Sydney University
2. University of Massachusetts
3. Pepperdine University
4. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 75 to 86. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_8.

Abstract

Climate change is among the biggest challenges of our time. The construction sector is a contributor to this problem by emitting more than 36% of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. At recent climate change conferences hosted by the United Nations, commitments have been made by industry leaders including those in the construction sector to promote climate-friendly practices. Despite these commitments and debates on progress, there are still existing gaps on the mitigation strategies to minimise climate risks in construction activities. Available evidence shows continuous worse weather conditions affecting the development and management of construction projects with recent climatic disasters such as drought in the Horn of Africa, heatwaves in Southern Europe and wildfires in Hawaii, United States. These events highlight the demand for urgent actions towards climate-resilient construction project development pathways. Therefore, this study aims at analysing the climate risk mitigation strategies in the construction industry using a systematic meta-analysis review methodology. The findings demonstrate strategies such as training of construction management professionals to be equipped with climate management skills, adoption of net-zero and climate friendly technologies and procurement practices, build green and climate resilient projects, and retrofit existing buildings to withstand climate change. Practically, the key strategies presented in this study could serve as a checklist for the development of project management measures to minimise climate risks in the construction sector However, the results have revealed insufficient literature within the built environment on the topic which calls for further studies.

Keywords

Session

Presented in Track H, Friday 8 November 2024, 16:30 to 18:30, room WG 1020, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Dr Dat Doan.

How to Cite

Akomea-Frimpong, I., Jin, X., Osei-Kyei, R., Agyekum, A. K., Taden, J., Amoakwa, A. B., & Kedjah, C. O. (2025). A Meta-analysis of Climate Risk Mitigation Strategies in the Construction Sector. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 75–86). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_8

About the Conference

Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.