Sustainable property development by Malaysian property companies

Abstract

Purpose – The concept of sustainability has become increasingly essential to property development, especially in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of sustainability practices among listed property companies in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Using content analysis, company websites and annual reports, the level of sustainable practices among property companies in Malaysia will be examined and assessed. The paper will also rigorously assess the sustainability strategies employed by using an attributes scorecard, which takes into account several attributes concerning sustainability issues. Findings – The findings have showed sustainable property development concept among listed property companies can be categorised as low level, although this is increasing. Originality/value – Given the increasing significance of sustainability issues – especially in property development – this paper provides a more informed investment decision strategies regarding the implementation of the sustainability concept in property portfolio; a consideration that has increasingly come into focus amongst international property actors.