A Novel ICT Driven ESG Enabled Model for Productive, Efficient and Sustainable Development of Construction Industry

Emerging ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) have made immense growth in its computing capabilities and are being harnessed by many industries. On the other hand, the construction industry utilizes basic software solutions in its various activities and faces many challenges related to productivity, efficiency, safety, and ESG (Environment, Society, and Governance). By adopting emerging ICTs like drones, IoT, 5G, Cloud, AI/ML, etc. construction companies can enhance productivity, efficiency, and safety. EGS criteria can play a pivotal role in guiding the construction industry towards sustainable practices. Therefore, the integration of emerging ICTs with ESG practices would be a welcoming option in the construction industry. The paper's main objective is to propose an innovative ICT-driven and ESG-enabled model that can leverage emerging software solutions and digital devices with ESG practices. This integrated approach fosters a holistic & sustainable development paradigm in the construction industry by improving productivity, efficiency, social responsibility, governance practices, and environmental conservation throughout the construction life cycle. As per questionnaire survey findings, the majority of the respondents see numerous benefits for their companies with some adaptation challenges. The authors have validated the proposed model through interviews with professionals and a questionnaire survey. The survey findings highlight that 81 percent of industry professionals would like to embrace the proposed model for their enterprises to enhance productivity and efficiency with sustainability.