An evidence-based strategy to future-proof the built environment
A newly launched roadmap brings a systemic approach to dealing with the impact of climate change.
The UK has launched the UK Climate Resilience Roadmap, the first guidance of its kind to outline how the built environment can adapt to increasing climate hazards. The roadmap details, for the first time, how the UK’s built environment, including homes, schools, offices, hospitals, parks and infrastructure, is increasingly vulnerable to five climate hazards: overheating, flooding, drought, wildfires and storms.
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has worked for the past two years with Buro Happold, Mace, Arup, Hoare Lee and other industry experts to develop the roadmap. Drawing on the latest research, modelling and global insights, it provides a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy to help the built-environment sector respond to the growing risks posed by climate change and ensure resilience.
The UK is already experiencing the impacts of climate change: flooding, storms, overheating, wildfires and drought are becoming more frequent and severe. These hazards threaten infrastructure, lives, livelihoods and ecosystems. Achieving climate resilience is no longer optional,
but essential.
Threats of a changing climate
“The UK Climate Resilience Roadmap starkly illustrates the threats of a changing climate, not in the future but right here, right now,” said Simon McWhirter, chief executive of UKGBC. “Our homes, schools, hospitals, parks and offices, the very fabric of our communities and society, are in danger. We need a fundamental rethink on this if we are to protect our way of life.”
Climate change is already costing lives and more will be lost without urgent action, the report says, highlighting these main points:
- Five major hazards – storms, droughts, wildfires, overheating and flooding – must be treated as national emergencies.
- These hazards are interconnected and the response to them must be systemic and coordinated.
- Buildings are our frontline defence, so resilience starts with how they are designed, built and adapted.
- Acting now is the only responsible choice. Resilience must be embedded across every project and policy.
Bringing awareness
The roadmap is more than a report, it’s a tool for bringing awareness and enabling action. It provides a strategic vision that supports both people and nature, a systemic approach to embedding adaptation across all industry subsectors, a flexible four-stage process aligned with metrics and indicators to guide decision-making and, finally, national policy and industry recommendations aligned with sector-specific needs.
By integrating climate adaptation with mitigation, the roadmap promotes a holistic approach to sustainability – reducing emissions while enhancing resilience. It empowers the built environment sector to move from reactive crisis management to proactive risk reduction and long-term planning.
The roadmap sets out a clear, actionable vision for a climate-resilient built environment. It translates complex data and research into practical, scalable solutions tailored to the sector’s unique vulnerabilities. It also provides a framework for embedding resilience into every stage of planning, design, construction and policy.
As well as key messages for industry, the report contains policy recommendations for government, including calls to create an Office for Resilience in the Cabinet Office and restoring the role of minister for resilience, protecting all communities with trees, parks and ponds, and creating a new generation of green professionals.
The report also sets out how built environment professionals can adopt a four-stage framework for embedding climate resilience into built environment decision-making across organisations and project teams.
“The roadmap marks a huge step forward, setting out a comprehensive and cohesive approach for achieving a climate-resilient built environment that protects and enhances long-term value,” said Duncan Price, global sustainability and climate change lead at Buro Happold.
