A good practice guide for managing climate change geo-related impacts and liabilities for land development (P3266)

Construction and the redevelopment sectors are vulnerable to effects of climate change. Land use choices, and below ground building and infrastructure design options can affect the delivery of both climate change mitigation and sustainable development, both key principles of the UK’s Planning Policies. Societal concerns as evidenced by increasing climate change class action litigation, has aided in getting business’ attention in these areas. Increasingly it is expected that Employers Requirements and contract obligations will be imposed to help the UK’s journey to ‘Net Zero’ with the implied risk of needing to repair failures to meet such requirements.

Project objectives

• Provide guidance to help construction professionals (including geotechnical and geoenvironmental specialists) to: 
  ○ manage climate change risk in land development projects in a balanced and sustainable manner
  ○ reduce future liability and cost
  ○ secure funding from lenders and insurance policy
  ○ avoid delay in the programme and additional costs in land development projects
• Help lenders and financial institutes to make more informed decisions to assess, manage, and balance climate change risk on land development projects. 
• Help to make land projects more resilient to changing climate impact and therefore reduce the national expense needed on repairs and provide a safe built environment for people living in the UK 

Project status
This project is currently seeking technical and financial support as well as a research contractor.

Further information
For further information or to get involved with this project please contact Joanne Kwan.