Exploring carbon management implementation for quantity surveying professional practice in South Africa

<p dir="ltr">Built environment processes signicantly contribute carbon emissions, worsening the impact on the environment, and all associated professsionals must actively respond to this predicament. Despite literature opining that QSs are well-positioned to integrate carbon reduction techniques into project planning and execution, their role is not concisely defined, especially in South Africa. Facing challenges such as regulatory gaps and financial constraints, this study explores how QSs can navigate these challenges, aligning their role with the construction sector's decarbonisation goals. Hence, this paper sought to reveal carbon management implementation techniques for quantity surveying (QS) professional practice and expose sstrategies to achieve adequate implementation. The study employed a thematic analysis using a qualitative, inductive approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with quantity surveyors from the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) and the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). This provided insights into QSs’ experiences and perspectives, highlighting effective carbon management methods. The study found that techniques such as forming sustainability committees and using Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methods to quantify carbon impact are effective, supported by implementation strategies that include stakeholder awareness, training, and regulatory promulgations. Implementing these techniques enables QSs to impact both the financial and sustainability outcomes of construction projects. The recommendations suggest establishing a sustainable construction implementation frameworks that include the use of effective carbon management tools, creating a carbon measurement framework, designing QS curricula on carbon management, and advocating for government incentives for green technologies. The paper provides a structured approach for integrating carbon management into QS practices, justifying the importance of QSs in achieving sustainable construction. However, a limited familiarity with carbon management techniques among some QSs and a reliance on qualitative data makes the findings broadly ungeneralisable.</p>