Sustainable building in Lebanon, are we ready?

Abstract

As the world is in an accelerating transformation towards sustainable development, the Lebanese population seems to be concerned about the environment and ready to invest in sustainable buildings. This study assessed the understanding on the sustainability among the Lebanese population and checked to which extent they are ready to invest in green buildings. The research was conducted online using an online survey engine and reached more than 400 respondents all over the Lebanese territory in a descriptive and experimental approach. The results were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package and the online survey engine tools in a synergic combination to get the most accurate results and the best description. Descriptive statistics were involved at a first stage in order to understand the current position of the sample population. In the second part, the respondents were assigned randomly to one of two groups, an informed group to which a short presentation about green buildings was displayed, and a non informed group that was left with their own understanding of the concept. The Levine’s test of equality of variances demonstrated a remarkable increase in the willingness to invest in green buildings among the informed segment. Finally, and in order to give this study a practical dimension, the respondents were asked to rank the incentives that were the most important for them to invest in a green house. The top ranked answer was the personal knowledge about the topic followed by financial incentives. In marketing terms, the green building in Lebanon is a star and could be soon moving to the cash cow position. In this environment, the study opens the door to future plans in which the private sector plays a catalyzing role in the sustainable development in Lebanon.