This paper reports the results of an empirical study examining the barriers to implementing environmentally sustainable practices in the construction industry and whether each of the identified barriers in ISO 14001 certified firms differ significantly compared to those in non-ISO 14001 certified firms. The study used interviews and a structured questionnaire to collect data
from 40 construction firms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The analysis of the results showed that the top three of the 15 identified barriers are economic development placed above meeting environmental sustainability requirements, insufficient support from policymakers, and challenges to decreasing the amount of energy consumed during construction processes. The
results also showed no significant difference between firms adopting ISO 14001 and firms not adopting ISO 14001 in terms of the importance of each identified barrier. These findings could guide managers and policymakers in construction firms interested in the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices in the UAE and firms operating in the same environment worldwide.