REVIEWING AND COMPARING CARBON ACCOUNTING STANDARDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the largest contributors to annual global carbon emissions, yet there is a scarcity of research on the topic of carbon accounting standards for the construction industry. Given the dire state of the industry in terms of carbon emissions performance, there is a necessity in bridging this gap. The objective of this study is to compare and contrast a select few carbon accounting standards against a set of well-defined criteria, and conclude on a standard that is most appropriate for the construction industry. However, after conducting a comparison analysis through literature review and case studies, it was found that no singular standard could satisfy the high expectations laid out in this study. Hence, the ideal standard would be a hybrid model that combines the best features of each standard along with additional guidelines to further refine the hybrid model.