Environmental sustainability performance assessment framework – critical review of green building rating tools

Abstract

The inefficiencies in the operation phase of a building could result in its environmental sustainability performance dropping. This paper aims to establish a preliminary environmental sustainability performance assessment framework during the operational phase of buildings. This is the first step to develop a comprehensive and validated assessment framework, as developing a new assessment framework in environmentally sustainable development requires a strategic approach for a consistent and logical framework that incorporates applicable research methodologies and realistic experience. This paper critically reviewed six (6) selected green building rating tools to list relevant criteria groups and associated criteria contributing to buildings' environmental sustainability performance. Eleven (11) criteria groups and seventy-three (73) criteria were established to form the preliminary environmental sustainability performance assessment framework during the operational phase of buildings. The establishment of this assessment framework will allow it to be used as part of Building Performance Assessment programmes by the Public Works Department of Malaysia, which will be a great assistance to the government buildings' stakeholders to assess their building environmental sustainability performance. With the findings from the assessment, they would be able to plan well-grounded operation and maintenance plans or retrofit strategies to improve their building environmental sustainability performance.