Climate change adaptation: Standards and strategies for the built environment

The JRC has published a technical report highlighting the importance of adapting the built environment to climate change, with the aim of reducing risks and improving the resilience of infrastructure and buildings.

The EU climate change adaptation strategy aims to make Europe climate-resilient by 2050. The JRC report, 'Climate change adaptation for the built environment: developments and needs for structural design standards', explores the impact of climate-related hazards on the structural integrity and functionality of the built environment. It discusses policy background, standardisation needs, and advanced methodologies for elaboration of maps for climatic actions, as well as harmonising climate data and fortifying design standards. Through mapping standardisation needs for strengthening structural design, and supporting the development of guidelines for infrastructure resilience, this report adds to previous policy support work and informs the ongoing review of policies.

The report highlights the importance of integrating climate adaptation and mitigation strategies into construction standards and practices to ensure resilience and minimise damage. It also emphasizes the need for a common framework with standardised statistical methods and data input types to support climate-resilient construction. The report provides an overview of the current situation, the implications of climate change for design standards, and the need to reinforce technical specifications, codes, and safety measures for structures to withstand climate influences.

Recommended reading: 

The full report is available on the JRC Publications Repository: JRC143275

For more information, visit:

 Climate change adaptation for the built environment - Publications Office of the EU