Building a sustainable future: construction's role in advancing the global development agenda through the SDGs

Alex Opoku, Godwin Kugblenu, Yaning Qiao, Benjamin Baah and Abbas Elmualim

Chapter 19 in Research Companion to the Construction Industry in Developing Countries, 2026, pp 495-516 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter addresses the significant infrastructure deficit in developing nations, particularly in Africa, and the anticipated expansion of the global construction market by USD4.5 trillion to a total of USD15.2 trillion by 2030, with a substantial portion of this growth expected in the emerging markets of Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The construction industry is resource-intensive, and this requires urgent attention to integrate sustainable development goals (SDGs) into construction to reconcile economic growth with environmental sustainability and social equity. The chapter provides an overview of the construction industry in developing countries and delves into how the construction industry can align its operations and products with the global development agenda by adopting the SDGs. It further highlights exemplary construction projects in emerging economies that successfully implemented the sustainable development framework, demonstrating the possibility of achieving structurally sound, environmentally friendly and socially responsible outcomes. The chapter finally offers insights into, and strategies for, sustainable construction practices that contribute to global development objectives in developing countries.

Keywords: Construction industry; Developing countries; Global development; Infrastructure; Sustainable Development Goals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035336302
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