Toward sustainable development: an assessment of the performance of green construction sites using fuzzy synthetic evaluation

Purpose Unlike the design or planning phases, the construction phase necessitates the coordination of multiple project stakeholders, real-time problem-solving and effectively managing physical resources under fluctuating site conditions. However, recent green rating systems are not yet designed to accommodate the unique nature of this stage. Thus, this study aims to develop an empirical measurement model to evaluate the performance of green construction sites (GCS), focusing on the Vietnamese construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Initially, a list of assessment criteria was identified by reviewing previous studies and semi-structured interviews. After that, a questionnaire survey was used to collect practitioners’ views regarding GCS performance. The 155 valid responses were analyzed employing the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) method. Findings The findings showed that the performance of GCS in Vietnam is at a moderate level, with a GCS index of 5.48. Indeed, the human-related factor was the most significant performance group for GCS in Vietnam. Construction site, energy, innovation and material-related factors were among the average performance factors. Moreover, water and waste-related factors were among the lowest performance factors. Originality/value This study highlights the importance of human-related factors, such as worker safety and environmental training, in achieving effective GCS performance. It is recommended that governments should enforce stricter guidelines on using low-embodied carbon materials, sustainable sourcing and effective waste management to improve GCS performance. Neighboring countries can also use valuable insights from this study to enhance their GCS performance.