A Fuzzy Synthetic Analysis of Construction Firms' Contribution to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Developing Countries: A Ghanaian Case Study

The construction industry plays a significant role in economic development, infrastructure delivery, and social transformation, while simultaneously contributing to environmental degradation and resource depletion. Consequently, the sector is increasingly recognised as a critical stakeholder in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study evaluates the contribution of construction organisations in Ghana toward achieving the SDGs using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation Modelling (FSEM). A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to registered building and road contractors. Out of 357 distributed questionnaires, 250 valid responses were obtained and analysed. The findings identified five major dimensions of SDG-related activities undertaken by construction firms: Infrastructure Restoration, Health and Well-being, Social Development, Human Development, and Sports Development. The results revealed that construction organisations contribute to SDGs through activities such as sanitation support, school renovation, health screening, scholarship schemes, skills training, and community infrastructure provision. Human Development recorded the highest fuzzy index value, while Sports Development ranked lowest. However, all dimensions recorded index values below 3.0, indicating that sustainability-related activities are undertaken infrequently. The study concludes that although construction firms contribute to sustainable development, their engagement remains limited and insufficiently integrated into organisational strategies. The research contributes to sustainable construction literature by providing empirical evidence from a developing-country context and demonstrating the applicability of fuzzy synthetic evaluation in assessing SDG-related performance under uncertainty. The study recommends stronger regulatory enforcement, improved sustainability reporting frameworks, and greater integration of sustainability principles into construction practices.