SINGAPORE CONTRACTORS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Noting the changes within the Singapore construction industry, fuelled by the government's 'green' initiatives in tandem with the prolonged effect of the 1997-2005 recession, this paper investigates Singapore contractors' attitudes towards environmental sustainability. Data were collected from 34 interviews with senior management of large and medium-sized general building contractors and the firms' archival records. The results show that the majority of the contractors embrace positive attitudes towards environmental sustainability. The respective contractors explicitly express their environmental drives by incorporating keywords such as 'quality', 'sustainability' and 'environmental and social benefits' into their firms' mission statements. The results also show that three environmental-related measures implemented by all contractors are: (i) stricter housekeeping procedures in construction sites; (ii) stricter wastage rates for construction materials; and (iii) greater focus on Just-In-Time delivery to minimise materials deterioration due to inappropriate site storage.