ABSTRACT
This chapter provides further insight into the subject of professional ethics relevant to construction clients and discusses the key areas of ethical standards, values and behaviours, environmental ethics, cultural change, governance and regulation. It describes and analyses some of the problems relating to adopting professional ethics and also provides possible reasons to explain and understand why unethical practices exist. Institutions such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Royal Institute of British Architects have royal charters which strictly set down rules and regulations relating to professional standards, moral and ethics which all members must comply with. The chapter also discusses many different aspects and issues that influence and affect professional ethics and the repercussions that can arise from non-ethical practices, especially in the context of the UK construction industry. Construction clients in their respective leadership roles, when procuring projects, should be aware of the growing importance of environmental ethics, as part of their organisations’ social responsibilities.
