This study explores construction and sustainability, emphasizing the importance of quality briefs from project conception. It highlights resource allocation, logistics, and intelligent design considerations to minimize energy use, water waste, and costs while enhancing structural resilience. The current agenda for sustainable construction underscores the need for whole-of-life considerations that foster harmony between human needs, structural integrity, and environmental sustainability. Thus, this study not only aims to investigate the current state of construction briefs and their alignment with New Zealand’s sustainability agenda but also proposes practical strategies that can be implemented to enhance brief quality within this context, offering a tangible path toward more sustainable construction practices. The study will comprehensively review extant literature and empirical data for the salience of sustainable construction. It will meticulously examine the characteristics and components of construction briefs, as well as the nexus of the principles and indicators of sustainability. By employing this scoping methodology, the research maps out the gaps and opportunities for improving existing construction briefs, ensuring a thorough understanding of the subject matter. The findings will highlight the multifaceted nature of construction briefs, encompassing aspects such as project objectives, stakeholder requirements, and design criteria. The significant challenges identified in the study include the need for more explicit sustainability objectives, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and better integration of sustainability metrics and benchmarks in construction briefs. This scoping study contributes to understanding construction briefs in the context of sustainability and provides practical insights for improving brief quality to support more sustainable construction projects.