Towards a climate-resilient built environment: a discussion paper on opportunities and priorities for climate adaptation in the EU

The EU built environment is one of the key societal systems exposed to this increasing and increasingly expensive physical climate risk.

Amidst escalating climate impacts and societal challenges, climate adaptation policies in the built environment need to gain prominence if the EU is to advance towards a more resilient society. Current policy responses to the climate crisis focus on mitigation. While this is an essential aim, it nevertheless fails to address the vulnerabilities of buildings and infrastructure and the ecological systems they are embedded in, as well as the communities they serve. A climate-resilient built environment should withstand diverse climate impacts, be highly energy-efficient and based on decentralised renewables, and foster adaptability, justice and inclusivity to enhance community well-being.

As the topic of a climate-resilient built environment is not specifically encompassed by any single EU policy file, this discussion papers argues that consistency between adaptation and buildings policy documents could be increased through a European Commission-led EU Strategy for a Climate-Resilient Built Environment.