| Summary: | Increased urbanisation has generated serious environmental pollution and ecological destruction, resulting in the global deterioration of the ecosystem. The construction industry needs to be eco-innovative to mitigate the negative environmental effects of construction development. In the construction industry of developing countries, the term eco-innovation (EI) is not adequately perceived. Recent literature has explored the determinants of EI but has rarely addressed the barriers to its implementation. The lack of previous studies accounts for the various perceived barriers. Thus, this paper aims to explore the barriers to EI implementation faced by large contractor firms in the Malaysian construction industry. A qualitative approach is adopted in this research using semi-structured interviews with 14 respondents, consisting of Grade G7 contractor firms. The results reveal that the barriers to EI come from internal and external sources. Four main barriers that hinder the implementation of EI by contractor firms are: i) firm-specific barriers; ii) cost difficulties; iii) people-related barriers, and iv) external pressures. The results obtained from this study on the barriers to EI may guide contractor firms to pursue sustainable competitive advantage effectively and explore a value-creation strategy to enhance EI implementation at the firm level. This study is practical and relevant for contractor firms undertaking both green and large-scale construction projects. © 2024, Construction Research Institute of Malaysia. All rights reserved.
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