We analysed the body of knowledge on the topic of environmental management in the construction sector with the intention to
identify the state of the art and opportunities for further research. The articles' database is from international journals in English
and in Portuguese languages. We identified key features of interest related to environmental management in the construction
sector by performing a systematic analysis. Relevant articles along with their level of citations and the recognition of their
authors were analysed, and barriers related to the implementation of the ISO 14001 standard in the construction sector were
identified. The analysis of articles indicates that the most important barriers to the implementation of EMS are implementation
costs, along with lack of qualified staff and knowledge about the potential benefits of ISO 14001.