Unlocking the Power of the Circular Economy in the Australian AEC Industry : A Journey through Attitudes, Barriers and Enablers

<p dir="ltr">The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry can be a major driving force towards achieving a circular economy (CE) in Australia. It contributes up to 9% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and has an anticipated annual growth rate of 2.4%.</p><p dir="ltr">However, the industry also has a reputation for a relatively low resource efficiency. Various avenues are being explored to address the issue, with one option being a shift toward the CE. Policy makers, researchers and practitioners agree on the benefits of adopting CE practices within the AEC industry context and widely recognise its potential for shifting the industry towards sustainablepractices. However, for its widespread adoption, relevant stakeholders’ perceptions of the concept must first be identified. Hence, this report aims to present stakeholders’ perceptions about a transition to CE adoption and to identify the main barriers and enablers affecting its adoption in the Australian AEC industry context. To this end, the report provides an account of a research study that relies on a mixed-methods approach. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey administered among key stakeholders associated with CE in the Australian AEC industry. The survey resulted in 132 duly completed responses with 10 interviews providing additional insights that complemented the survey results.</p>