ABSTRACT

In every country, the building sector is a major contributor to emissions as well as a huge user of natural resources and energy (Asif et al. 2007; Fan and Junfeng 2001). Environmental impacts arising from the production and transport of building materials vary according to regions and countries (Buchanan and Honey 1994; Pandit 2013). Developing countries may experience greater environmental impacts per unit of material as a result of lower production efficiencies and also, in part, because of the smaller size of manufacturing plants (Huberman and Pearlmutter 2008; Pittet and Kotak 2010). Furthermore, the inputs for production of materials and for their subsequent transport are very different, with potential consequences for the overall environmental impacts (Huberman and Pearlmutter 2008; Pittet and Kotak 2010).