According to the World Green Building Council, 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions come from buildings, including 28% from operations (heating, cooling, and powering) and 11% from materials and construction.
The urgency to build structures that can withstand unpredictable weather has increased, particularly in hurricane and flood-prone areas. Builders and architects are incorporating what was once seen as optional sustainability features into designs from the beginning. While cost concerns about some resilience measures remain, it seems the practical need will continue driving the shift toward more climate-resilient buildings. There’s also a growing focus on personal responsibility, as people recognize that resilience helps mitigate their own risk when extreme weather happens.
The rising cost of climate change
A World Economic Forum report highlighted the financial consequences of climate change. Rising temperatures, more frequent storms, and shifting rainfall patterns have damaged infrastructure, disrupted supply chains, and driven up insurance. These heightened financial risks threaten corporate profits and pose systemic risks to financial institutions while endangering people’s wealth, health, and lives.
Economically, climate change has resulted in over $3.6 trillion in damages since 2000. Projections indicate the GDP could cumulatively shrink by over 20% by 2100 if something isn’t done. By 2050, businesses that haven’t prepared could face physical risk costs of 5% to 25% of their profits. Rising costs from carbon pricing and other regulations could add expenses equivalent to 50% of their earnings in some high-emission industries.
The role of sustainable construction in building resilience
Resilient construction includes implementing weather-resistant designs and environmentally conscious (or green) building practices. Electricity and alternative fuels like biodiesel are powering more energy-efficient construction equipment. Companies are integrating solar energy for smaller-scale tasks, reducing reliance on conventional generators.
Experts anticipate this industry-wide embrace of sustainable methodologies will accelerate, aligning with the objective of constructing structurally robust, weather-resilient buildings that don’t contribute negatively to climate change.
Resilient building construction prioritizes protecting tenants from variable weather conditions and includes:
- Designing and building robust roofs. The weather directly impacts roofs. Builders must adhere to strict standards, like the 2025 FORTIFIED home requirements, and use impact-resistant materials, reinforcing roof decks with tighter nailing patterns and design vents to prevent wind-driven rain from causing damage.
- Managing energy and heat efficiently. Rising temperatures require designs that minimize heat absorption. Builders can use light-colored roofs and pavements, incorporate passive ventilation with operable windows, and create airtight envelopes to reduce reliance on cooling systems.
- Implementing effective water management and flood protection. Some areas prone to flooding require proactive water management. Builders can seal envelopes, install flood-resistant doors and windows, and seal foundations in flood-prone areas. They can also integrate rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling for sustainability.
- Constructing strong structural systems. Last year, five major tropical depressions became hurricanes, making the 2024 season the second costliest ever, with four hurricanes causing over $1 billion each in damages.
More robust structures can withstand extreme weather more effectively. Builders can create continuous load paths and reinforce foundations with shear walls and metal connectors, especially in areas regularly hit by hurricanes or earthquakes.
- Integrating sustainable and renewable energy. Balancing resilience and sustainability requires renewable energy systems like solar cables and underground cabling. Energy-efficient systems reduce consumption and contribute to this goal.
Guidance from the U.S. Green Building Council
Several standards and systems codify green building practices, including the EPA’s Energy Star, LEED, and Passive House. These systems provide criteria and guidance on site selection, using sustainable construction materials, indoor air quality improvements, and integrating renewable energy—all designed to lessen a building’s environmental impact.
LEED-certified buildings consume 25% less energy, reduce carbon emissions by 34%, and use 11% less water than traditional buildings. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design v5 (LEED v5), including the Building Design and Construction (BD+C) and Operations and Maintenance (O+M) versions, will be released in 2025.
This updated framework—which focuses on decarbonization, ecological conservation and restoration, and quality of life—introduces new prerequisites and optional credits targeting operational and embodied carbon, transportation carbon, and building materials reuse. LEED v5 will align with current industry practices and address the urgency of the climate crisis, with its main priorities of:
- Decarbonization: Reducing buildings’ carbon footprints
- Ecological conservation and restoration: Protecting and restoring natural environments
- Quality of life: Improving the health, well-being, and inclusivity of building occupants
LEED v5 emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, data-driven analysis, and community context. Updates also include stricter requirements for site selection, walkability, proximity to transit, and reduced parking. The report also includes more robust environmental preservation and resilience criteria, including habitat restoration, accessible outdoor spaces, and heat island reduction.
This document is raising the bar for sustainable design with other recommendations for:
- Water efficiency, including comprehensive water metering and reporting, with options for prescriptive or performance-based paths to reduce water usage.
- Energy and atmosphere, with updates to meet ASHRAE 90.1-2022 standards and enhanced grid interactive credit requirements.
- A focus on embodied carbon reduction and material transparency, with a new requirement to quantify and assess embodied carbon across major building components.
- Indoor environmental quality (IEQ), with enhanced and more flexible pathways, including a dual-path approach for air quality, with options for increased ventilation or continuous air monitoring.
- An increased emphasis on decarbonization, minimized site disturbance, and construction and demolition waste diversion. Salvaged materials now count for more in waste division calculations.
- Streamlined energy modeling with automated, real-time data platforms and enhanced digital reporting tools.
Adaptations building owners can make now
Building owners and tenants can make changes to improve their space’s resilience to climate change.
- Thermal regulation with better insulation. Retrofitting structures with improved insulation can decrease carbon emissions and stabilize internal temperatures. These upgrades minimize heat transfer and help buildings maintain cooler interiors during increasingly hotter summers, reducing the reliance on energy-intensive HVAC systems.
- Integrated stormwater management. Implementing systems that manage rainwater runoff can involve something as simple as rainwater collection barrels to more sophisticated green roof installations that use smart technology to regulate water absorption and release. These modifications alleviate the strain on urban drainage systems during heavy rainfall, thereby lowering the risk of localized flooding.
- Passive cooling via external shading. Using external shading materials like shutters or shades helps maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. This strategy—often used in Mediterranean countries—minimizes direct solar heat gain through windows, particularly large expanses of glass that can cause temperatures to rise quickly.
Nature-based solutions. Integrating natural elements into building design and surrounding landscapes offers many benefits. Replacing impermeable surfaces with vegetation reduces stormwater runoff. Planting trees provides shade and contributes to localized cooling.
Are you a commercial real estate investor or seeking a specific property to meet your company’s needs? We invite you to talk to the professionals at CREA United, an organization of CRE professionals from over 90 firms representing all disciplines within the CRE industry, from brokers to subcontractors, financial services to security systems, interior designers to architects, movers to IT, and more.
