Local Content

Abstract

Local content refers to materials and products made in a country as opposed those that are imported. There is an increasing interest in the concept of local content as a means of supporting local economies and providing jobs (Belderbos & Sleuwaegen, 1997; Qiu & Tao, 2001; Corkin, 2012; Warner, 2011; Stephenson, 2013). Local content is also seen a way of improving national sustainability performance and developing greener buildings (Olivier et al, 2016; van Reneen, 2014; Gibberd, 2002). As a result, an increasing number of developed and developing countries are developed procurement policies that promote local content and it is estimated that about 11% of world trade has been affected (Stephenson, 2013). This chapter defines local content and provides examples of this in buildings and construction. It shows how local content targets or local content requirements (LCRs) are being formalised in government policy and pursued in procurement regimes. The relationship between local content and sustainability is also delineated in order to demonstrate the implications of local content on building design, construction and operation. The advantages and disadvantages of local content approaches are discussed and illustrated through examples. Finally, broad recommendations are provided to enable the concept of local content to be more effectively integrated in to buildings and construction.