Sustainable Transformation of the Construction Industry in Developing Countries

Evidence from Jordan, Malaysia, and Türkiye

Abstract

This paper looks at the key role Sustainable Building Assessment Tools (SBATs) play in encouraging environmental friendliness in construction, focusing on national situations in Jordan, Türkiye, and Malaysia. As significant ecological damage from construction includes carbon emissions and resource depletion, the paper stresses the value of adjusting SBAT designs locally to fit each country's social and environmental needs. The research analyses how national green building guides address specific local challenges – such as water shortages, energy needs and growth in society and the economy – compared to generic global standards like LEED and BREEAM. This comparison is demonstrated through an Indoor Air Quality analysis in Jordan: one LEED-accredited, and the other certified by Jordan's local tool (JGBG). Using the customised SBAT maturity model, the study looks at each tool through the lens of dimensions such as regulatory embedment, how often it updates, how much it emphasises water efficiency, and the range of building types it addresses. The results classify tools into three levels based on their score (Initiation, Institutionalisation, Optimisation), which indicates that Malaysia's GBI (Green Building Index) tool is more advanced and applies to a broader range of issues (Optimisation). In contrast, Jordan and Turkey's SBATs must make essential improvements to be more compatible with other rules, need also to be updated more often, and cover more buildings (Institutionalisation). As the results imply, using and updating local SBATs is vital to supporting the sustainability transition in developing countries.