Bader, MahmoudRoy, KrishanuBerry, Terri-Annde Graaf, Kim2026-04-072026-04-072026-04-05Urban Science, ISSN: 2413-8851 (Online), MDPI AG, 10(4), 203-203. doi: 10.3390/urbansci100402032413-8851http://hdl.handle.net/10292/20869<jats:p>Globally, sustainability indicators have become increasingly important in the building construction sector. While contractors play a critical role in advancing sustainability during the construction phase, there is limited guidance on the specific practices they should adopt. This study aims to address that gap by identifying sustainable practices relevant to building construction and developing an initial set of practical guidelines to support contractors in enhancing their sustainability performance. Based on a literature review and the author’s experiences in New Zealand, a list of 49 sustainable practices for building construction has been developed, addressing the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. The research focuses on the building construction phase and emphasises contractor-level key implementation challenges, such as regulatory barriers and the need for enhanced waste management during construction. The proposed list of practices can serve as a valuable tool to guide contractors’ commitment to sustainability and may inform contractor selection for future tender projects.</jats:p>© 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.1205 Urban and Regional Planning3304 Urban and regional planning4406 Human geography4407 Policy and administrationsustainable practicesbuilding constructioncontractor practicessustainable construction practicescontractor performanceNew ZealandJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.3390/urbansci10040203