Wednesday 27 August 2025
Nearly half of the world’s population – 3.6 billion people – are already vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and that number is expected to rise sharply.
Each year, more than 30 million people are displaced by extreme weather events such as floods, storms, wildfires and droughts.
By 2050, up to 1.2 billion people could be at risk of losing their home.
These figures are frightening, but they underscore the urgent need to ensure our communities and cities are built for resilience, and can withstand the evolving challenge posed by climate change.
To support the building and construction sector in responding to these challenges, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has launched a new position paper: “Developing a strategy for climate resilient buildings”.
Building on our 2022 flagship report “Climate Change Resilience in the Built Environment”, our latest report provides practical guidance for industry stakeholders and policymakers to create built environments that can mitigate and adapt to climate shocks.
The report stresses that all stakeholders — from building users and policymakers to manufacturers and developers — need to understand localised climate risks, as well as the factors that contribute to building resilience, whilst prioritising actions to adapt.
Key highlights of the paper include:
Cristina Gamboa, CEO, World Green Building Council, said:
“Climate change is not just an environmental challenge — it’s a societal and economic one as well. This report sets out a clear strategy for building resilience into our cities and communities. By defining what a climate-resilient building is and showing how to plan, design, and operate for resilience — we are giving policymakers, developers, and industry the tools they need to protect people, economies, and ecosystems today and in the future.”
Yerutí Arza Villalba, ESG & Sustainability Expert, apoprojekt GmbH, said:
“Resilience means creating buildings that last and adapt. Through targeted retrofitting, complemented by sustainable tenant fit outs, we can maximise existing potential while securing long-term value for owners, tenants, and the environment.”
Kripa Dwarakanath, Sustainability and Resilience Service Line Leader, EMEA, GHD, said:
“In the built-environment sector, planning for risks, adapting to changing climate, and building resilience is not just a safeguard against climate and man-made disasters—it is the foundation of business continuity and the gateway to new opportunities in a changing world.”
Duncan Price, Partner & Global sustainability & climate lead, Buro Happold, said:
“Climate physical risk is of increasing concern to investors in the built environment. This new research helps developers and asset managers to plan adaptation and resilience measures to protect and enhance long term asset value. “
The first Global Stocktake in 2024 – assessing progress towards the Paris Agreement goals — acknowledged progress in adaptation but also highlighted uneven and incremental responses. WorldGBC’s new report aims to address these gaps by offering actionable guidance that integrates mitigation and adaptation for the built environment.
With this launch, WorldGBC calls on all built environment stakeholders to take proactive steps, implement practical strategies, and work collectively to safeguard people and planet from the growing impacts of climate change.
“Developing a strategy for climate resilient buildings” was developed by WorldGBC, in collaboration with Green Building Councils from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Emirates, Finland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Kenya, Malaysia, Peru, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America. The publication also features the expertise of our industry partners apoprojekt, Buro Happold, GHD, Holcim, Saint-Gobain and Skanska.