A Preliminary Investigation on the Relationship Between the Sustainable Construction Field and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Proposed Research Framework

In recent years, there has been a wide concern regarding climate change and the future development of human beings. Some scholars support the idea that construction activity has been exacerbating the global warming issue, which requires a sustainable transformation of the building industry. This article examines the correlation between the construction sector and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) published by the United Nations. Within the framework of global advocacy for sustainable development, the construction sector is progressively advancing the creation of green buildings to facilitate the achievement of the SDGs by minimising resource use and pollution. Researching convincing academic materials and completing the relevant analysis elucidates the low-degree relations between the construction industry and the relevant goals (1, 2, 4, 10, 14, 16 and 17) and the medium-level correlation with objectives 5 and 8. More importantly, the building sector, especially considering the use of modular constructions, significantly contributes to SDGs 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 15 considering its influence on energy efficiency, climate change mitigation, urban infrastructure, clean water preservation and many other aspects. A comprehensive research framework is proposed to explore the challenges of using modular constrictions and improve the building industry's sustainability, facilitating SDG achievement. More first-hand data can be collected in the subsequent investigations, and the multi-criterion analysis method can be employed in further research, improving the accuracy and objectiveness of current research findings.