Research on factors influencing total carbon emissions of construction based on structural equation modeling: A case study from China

As a pillar industry in China, the construction sector plays a crucial role in advancing the country's carbon emission (CE) reduction initiatives. The factors influencing CE in the construction industry (CI) are numerous and complex. This paper analyzes the influencing factors of CE in the CI based on structural equation modeling. Firstly, by combining the relevant literature and actual situation of CE in the CI, 38 common influencing factors corresponding to the building, economic, social, technological and energy levels are initially selected, and the data corresponding to each influencing factor in each province and city in China for 10 years are collected and then processed without dimension. Secondlyd, 12 hypothetical relationships between building, economic, social, technological and energy and CE from the CI are established based on the actual situation, and the initial CE in the CI structural equation model is established after the data set is tested for normal distribution, reliability and validity. Thirdly, the model is evaluated for path significance and model fit, and the modified structural equation model of CE from the CI is obtained after the initial model is modified, and the modified model is evaluated again. Finally, based on the modified model, the influence degree and effect of CE influencing factors in the CI are analyzed. It is concluded that economy, technology, and energy are the main factors successively affecting the total CE of buildings.