Building a Greener Future: Can Malaysia’s Property Development Sector Achieve Sustainable Development Goals?

The primary focus of this current research centers specifically on the property development sector within the larger construction industry domain. It is within this sector that the impact on the environment, resulting from development and construction activities, is particularly pronounced, especially in urban areas undergoing rapid urbanization. These urban areas, or cities, are known to be major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for an estimated 75 percent of global energy consumption and up to 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Although studies on environmental sustainability are extensive, the discussion on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda from the perspective of industry players remains scarce. Therefore, the main objective of this exploratory research is to discover property developers’ commitments and the challenges faced in attaining the sustainability agenda. The research adopts a qualitative research approach where data was collected from seven companies based on purposive sampling techniques. The interview sessions were recorded, transcribed, and data were analyzed using the grounded theory analysis technique. The findings highlighted the positive direction of sustainability practices among property developers in Malaysia with the instrumental role of the government. Overall, the property development sector in Malaysia has witnessed a noticeable shift towards embracing the sustainability agenda in recent years. Increased awareness and efforts are evident as the industry addresses its historical challenges of inefficiency and environmental impact. The study contributes to a greater understanding of the phenomenon that addresses the empirical gap of the study.