ISSN: 2226-3624
Open access
Malaysia has advanced several policy and institutional initiatives to mainstream green buildings and low-carbon technologies. Despite a mature voluntary rating system Green Building Index (GBI) and national policy frameworks (National Green Technology Policy 2009; Green Technology Master Plan 2017–2030), the uptake of green building technologies remains uneven across developers, contractors, financiers, occupants, and government agencies. This systematic literature review synthesizes empirical and policy literature (2000–2024) to (i) identify barriers and enablers reported by different stakeholder groups; (ii) analyse how national policy has influenced adoption; and (iii) propose an integrated model to operationalize GBI uptake across Malaysia. Key barriers include cost and financing bottlenecks, limited technical capacity and supply-chain constraints, weak enforcement and incentives, fragmented institutional responsibility, and low public awareness. The proposed integrated model combines (a) governance & policy instruments, (b) financing & incentives, (c) standards & certification alignment (GBI), (d) capacity building & supply chain development, (e) stakeholder engagement & public awareness, and (f) monitoring, data & continuous improvement. The review concludes with actionable policy recommendations and research directions to scale green building initiatives in Malaysia.
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