Purpose Public buildings account for nearly half of global energy use, making them major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and rising operational costs. In Sharjah (UAE), rapid urbanization has amplified these challenges, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable retrofitting strategies aligned with national environmental goals. This study aims to address the lack of a comprehensive, context-specific framework for assessing and managing sustainability challenges in public buildings. Design/methodology/approach An expert-validated framework was developed using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Matrix of Cross-Impact Multiplications Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to identify, structure and prioritize the factors influencing public building sustainability. The approach integrates qualitative and quantitative analyses within Sharjah’s (UAE) environmental and regulatory context. Local experts from construction, facility management and sustainability domains contributed to ensure contextual relevance and practical applicability. Findings The analysis reveals key driving factors and interrelationships, forming a hierarchical model that high-lights sustainable materials, eco-friendly refrigerants and water management systems as major enablers of sustainability. The framework supports data-driven decision-making for policymakers and practitioners, promoting efficient retrofitting and maintenance strategies. The results highlight sustainable construction materials, eco-friendly refrigerants and water management systems as the most influential drivers of sustainability and identifies strong interrelationships among factors, demonstrating that sustainability outcomes are driven by a network of interdependent variables rather than isolated actions. Originality/value This study presents one of the first integrated ISM–MICMAC frameworks tailored to public buildings in Sharjah (UAE). By combining modeling techniques with localized expert insights, it translates complex interdependencies into actionable sustainability strategies that advance national and global sustainability goals.
Alhosani et al. (Mon,) studied this question.