Comprehensive evaluation of sustainable development of regional construction industry in China

摘要

The construction industry is important in sustaining worldwide development. Improving the sustain ability of the construction industry is not only necessary but also urgent, especially in developing countries. In China, however, studies that assess the sustainability of the construction industry at the national level remain rare, especially regarding regional comparisons. To explore the driving forces of sustainable development, the present study established a model to assess the sustainability of the construction industry in China. Social, Economic, and Environmental Benefits Index (SEEBI) and Ecological Costs Index (ECI) were established to reflect the level of sustainability. Regional differences were examined in a longitudinal way. Results indicate that the SEEB of the construction industry greatly improved in most provinces of the eastern region, but ecological costs increased. The sustainable development of the construction industry in the western region lagged behind in early years, but sustainable development achieved significant progress over the past decade. Despite the gap in economic development, no significant differences were found between these three regions in terms of material-use efficiency. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.