Environmental management in construction has become a critical issue in recent
decades since the actors start to acknowledge that the construction industry is one of
the major contributors to environmental problems (Crawley and Aho, 1999, Tam et
al., 2006a, Tam et al., 2006b). Environmental impact is affected by both the activities
performed during the construction process and the material and technical solutions
incorporated in the end product (Crawley and Aho, 1999). Furthermore, the
environmental performance depends not only of choices made but also how these
choices are executed. Hence, two main aspects can be identified within this area.
First, it is in what degree the construction actors make environmentally friendly
choices of material and processes, i.e. in the planning and procurement choose those
material and those methods that will leave the least environmental “footprint” over the
construction’s life span (not only the construction period). Second, it is about how the
material and processes are used during construction, i.e. environmentally friendly use
of material and processes. With little concern over environmental impacts, excess
loss of material and improper waste treatment are always common in the construction
industry (Tam et al., 2006b).