Buildings can be vulnerable to the changing climate. In the past year, DG CLIMA has been collaborating with JRC-Sevilla to steer a study for an EU-level guidance on the climate resilience of buildings.
On 29 March 2023, the Commission published the new technical guidance on climate adaptation in buildings. The report synthesises existing methods, specifications, best practices and guidance for the construction and renovation of buildings.
The technical guidance starts with a policy overview and then presents ways to conduct climate vulnerability and risk assessments for buildings. It also includes a possible method for rating climate resilience.
- Provides technical guidance on climate-adaptation measures that aim to be relevant for both new and existing buildings across the different climatic zones of Europe.
- Presents adaptation solutions for the climate risks that most affect the built environment.
- Demonstrates the actions that can be taken to improve building performance. This includes strategies for owners, operators, users, policy makers, engineers, architects and insurers.
This EU-level guidance is also a contribution towards the integration of the principle of climate resilience of buildings into the implementation of EU Green Deal initiatives such as the Renovation Wave, the New European Bauhaus, the Climate Adaptation Strategy, the revisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and of the Construction Products Regulation, the Level(s) sustainability framework for buildings, Green Public Procurement, the Construction Transition Pathway, the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities, and EU funding programmes such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility, InvestEU, and regional funding.
The full guidance in English is available here and here. A dedicated page was also created on the Climate-ADAPT platform.
An illustrative short video was made for the guidance, which can be viewed here with English subtitles.
