Barriers to the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations in the Ghanaian construction industry

Purpose – This study aims to provide actionable insights for project managers and stakeholders to formulate effective strategies for enhancing environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and fostering sustainable development in the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were framed from 18 key barriers to ESG integration, which were subsequently administered to construction practitioners in Ghana. Data were analysed using mean score ranking, exploratory factor analysis and fuzzy synthetic evaluation to establish and assess the underlying key barriers and criticality of these barriers. Findings – This study established five main barriers: readiness and knowledge barriers, organizational processes and reporting barriers, institutional and strategic barriers, resource and perspective barriers and awareness barriers. The overall criticality index of 4.29 highlights the significant impact these barriers collectively have on limiting ESG integration in the Ghanaian construction industry. Practical implications – Knowledge of the barriers will help stakeholders to formulate targeted strategies to enhance ESG performance. Social implications – Addressing the barriers to ESG integration can help reduce environmental impact, improve worker safety and enhance engagement with local communities to ultimately contribute to a sustained construction sector. Originality/value – This study provides an original empirical analysis of the critical barriers to ESG integration specific to the Ghanaian construction industry. The findings offer practical recommendations for stakeholders aiming to enhance the contribution of the construction sector towards achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 13, 10 and 8.