Stakeholder salience and environmental sustainability adoption in Ghana's formal residential real estate sector

Purpose Despite increasing policy attention to sustainable real estate development in Ghana, the adoption of Environmental Sustainability Strategies (ESS) remains fragmented, and little empirical evidence exists on how different stakeholders influence sustainability decisions across the residential real estate development lifecycle. This study examines how stakeholder salience shapes ESS adoption within Ghana's formal residential real estate sector. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 86 licensed real estate developers. Guided by stakeholder salience theory, data were analysed using the Relative Importance Index, correlation analysis, and exploratory factor analytical techniques to evaluate ESS adoption priorities and stakeholder influence across the development stages. Findings Material- and site-related strategies emerged as the most widely adopted ESS, reflecting a preference for less capital-intensive, early-stage interventions. Financiers exert the strongest overall influence through their control of capital allocation, while professional development teams play the most consistent role in shaping design and material-related sustainability decisions. Government agencies demonstrate moderate influence constrained by fragmented enforcement, whereas end-user influence remains weak, indicating limited demand-side sustainability pressure. Overall, ESS adoption reflects a finance-mediated and technocratic governance structure characteristic of emerging housing markets. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on the formal residential real estate sector and relies on self-reported, cross-sectional data, which may not fully capture sustainability practices within Ghana's informal housing market. Practical implications Strengthening regulatory coordination, expanding green-finance mechanisms, and enhancing professional sustainability capacity are critical to accelerating ESS adoption. Social implications Greater ESS uptake can improve housing quality, reduce environmental impacts, and support more resilient urban development. Originality/value Unlike previous studies that examine sustainability barriers in isolation, this study conceptualises ESS adoption as a stakeholder-governed process shaped by varying configurations of power, legitimacy, and influence across development stages. By demonstrating that stakeholder salience is institutionally contingent, the study extends sustainability governance debates in emerging real estate markets and provides a transferable analytical lens for sustainability transitions in the Global South.