Sustainable finance and the construction industry: new paradigms for design development

Abstract

Enabling sustainable growth is highly dependent on the ability of private capital to invest in projects capable of achieving sustainability objectives divided into the three economic, environmental and social components. The international financial system has defined criteria for assessing the sustainability of investments, also applicable in the construction sector. Still, these criteria do not always appear integrated with the sustainability assessment systems developed by the AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) industry. This article proposes reflections on the relationships between the sustainability indicators of sustainable finance and those typically used in the AEC industry with the purpose of identifying possible impacts on the disciplines involved in the design process.