20


decades. By embedding climate resilience into our built environment, we can safeguard people, reduce long term costs, and lead the economy towards a more secure future.


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THE DRAFT 2025 FUTURE HOMES AND BUILDINGS STANDARD DOES LITTLE TO ADDRESS WIND, WATER SCARCITY, FLOOD RISK, OR WILDLIFE EXPOSURE TO CLIMATE CHANGE


NEW HOMES ARE NOT READY To ensure climate readiness becomes standard practice instead of an afterthought, we must integrate resilience across all stages of building design, construction, and operation. This needs to start with a shift to designing for the climate we’re entering, not the one we’re leaving behind. New homes must use less water, cope with extreme heat, and withstand fl oods. et many new developments continue to fall short. The draft 2025 Future Homes and Buildings Standard (FHBS), consulted on by the previous government, does too little to address water scarcity, fl ood ris, wind or wildfi re exposure, and maes only modest improvements on overheating through minimal strengthening of Part O of the Building Regulations. The standard as it is will leave homes vulnerable to riss, costly to retrofi t, and potentially harmful to occupant health. t is also liely that this will further stress water systems, degrade freshwater and other ecosystems, and put the UK under further wildfi re ris. The Building Safety Regulator can propose amendments to Building Regulations and guidance, including climate resilience measures. This is a good fi rst step, but gaps remain in the enforcement and monitoring of adaptation across both residential and non residential buildings.


Despite growing awareness, the built environment sector lacs the unifi ed direction and shared accountability needed for urgent progress. With too few developments actively considering climate riss, what is needed now is clearer goals, coordinated action, and robust regulation to protect against the full spectrum of hazards. This is what the UK Climate Resilience Roadmap aims to deliver.


REFORMING BUILDING REGULATIONS The UK needs a more ambitious and coordinated approach to regulation, planning and delivery of adaptation. This means updating Building Regulations to embed climate resilience as a core principle of development, protecting against overheating, fl ooding and water scarcity.


To fi nd out more about The UK Green Building Council and its work on climate resilience, please email: info@ukgbc.org


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The Government should commit to a strengthened standard, with comprehensive updates to current regulation, including: • Part O (overheating) should be expanded to include future climate data and extend coverage to existing


homes undergoing refurbishment or conversion.


• art  water effi ciency moving to a fi ttings-based approach, baced by mandatory water labels lined to minimum performance standards, with a national target of 95 litres per person per day.


• art C fl ood resilience should require all properties at ris of fl ooding to include resilience measures, prioritising nature-based solutions and aligned with the CIRIA Code of Practice for property fl ood resilience.


• In the long term, rainwater harvesting should be mandated with reuse systems required for large developments, modelled on San Francisco’s planning requirement for water budget calculations, which helps address both water scarcity and surface water fl ooding riss.


longside regulatory reform, a long- term, cross-sector strategy is needed to coordinate adaptation. This must span national and local government, infrastructure providers, developers, insurers, and communities. Public awareness, green sills, and professional training are also essential; a new generation must be equipped to deliver buildings that are not just low carbon, but also climate resilient. UKGBC’s Climate Resilience Roadmap provides a systemic, action oriented framewor for the sector, promoting integrated responses and translating ris assessments into practical, place based interventions.


A FUTUREPROOFED BUILT ENVIRONMENT


Building to higher standards today avoids the greater cost of retrofi tting and rebuilding tomorrow. This is not just about avoiding climate damage; it is an opportunity to create healthier, more effi cient, safer, and future ready places.


The built environment sector has a vital role to play alongside the comprehensive regulations required to mae this happen. y putting climate resilience at the heart of planning, design, and delivery, we can lead the transition to a safer, more sustainable future. We must anticipate the climate riss ahead and start building to withstand them. he fi nal taeaway for housebuilders and wider society to tae account of is that there is no climate resilience without a resilient built environment.


Kirsty Girvan is senior policy advisor at the UK Green Building Council


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