Critical factors influencing carbon emissions of prefabricated building supply chains in China

Prefabricated buildings (PBs) have been actively promoted worldwide with the advantages of low labor costs, rapid construction and resource conservation. PBs have been proven to be an effective solution for reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry. To realize the carbon-reducing potential of PBs, this paper explores the key factors affecting carbon emissions and the influencing relationships from the perspective of the supply chain. Applying structural equation modeling, a hypothesis model composed of ‘social and governmental factors’, ‘market factors’, ‘technical factors’ and ‘supply chain coordination factors’ is evaluated. The results confirm that ‘technical factors’ have the strongest effects on reducing carbon emissions in prefabricated building supply chains (PBSCs), and ‘supply chain coordination factors’ have the weakest. The results also reveal that the indirect influence of ‘market factors’ is the most significant. Moreover, ‘level of low-carbon design’ and ‘low-carbon awareness of companies’ are suggested as key factors for reducing carbon emissions in PBSCs. This research provides guidance for the adoption of low-carbon measures by participants in PBSCs. Against the background of construction industrialization, consideration of the carbon emission-reducing mechanism of PBSCs can also help the government effectively formulate low-carbon strategies for the construction industry.