All climate change articles
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CommentAre construction contracts ready for a hotter future?
Sheena Sood explains the delivery, performance and commercial risks of increased heat, how different contracts allocate them, and what may need to change
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FeaturesPublic buildings in the UK are not built for frequent heatwaves - what will it take to fix them?
Last week showed that schools, hospitals and care homes are ill-equipped to protect their vulnerable occupants from sustained hot weather. What needs to be done to upgrade these estates as temperatures continue to climb?
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CommentBuilding resilience: Turning climate change policies into reality
We all have a part to play in designing and constructing buildings fit for the future. Dr Liz Marlow of Cundall considers how we might become better prepared to do so
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CommentSystems thinking beats product thinking: Why the UK needs a flood management revolution
For too long, the UK’s approach to water management has been reactive and fragmented. Proactive planning is required to deal with our changing climate, writes Paul Curtis
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CommentIn the face of increasingly extreme weather, developers, design engineers, architects and policymakers must take the lead
The recent heatwave presents yet more evidence that we face a challenge – and a huge opportunity – to construct buildings that are thermally comfortable, energy-efficient and wellness-led, says Abhishek Parmar at HB Reavis
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FeaturesLooking to Europe in the face of global uncertainty: Andy Hay explains Hollis’s plans for growth
The consultancy’s chief executive is confident that the sustainability agenda in northern Europe holds the key to the future despite Trump’s war on climate change policies. Carl Brown reports
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CommentIs it time to stop building in the wildfire affected areas of California?
The recent fires in the hills around Los Angeles are the most costly in US history. Does it really make sense to live in these heavily wooded places?
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CommentIs the UK’s infrastructure ready for 96mph storms?
As the number and intensity of storms increases, Dr Liz Marlow of Cundall considers how we might become better prepared
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CommentThe urban heat island is actually pretty cool
There is a lot of fuzzy thinking about the higher temperatures experienced in urban areas. The benefits could be life-saving and should not be dismissed, says Barny Evans at Turley
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CommentIntroducing prediction for designing climate-resilient infrastructure
Construction has traditionally relied on precedence to prepare for events that may affect our buildings, but the past is no longer a reliable indicator to the future, writes John Rees of COWI in the UK
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CommentA new way to make contracts greener
TLT and TCLP’s free contracting tool flags climate issues at all stages in the building lifecycle
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CommentWe still aren’t moving fast enough in the race against climate change
The government claims its third national adaptation programme represents a step-change in its approach to approving infrastructure resilience. David Smith is not so sure
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CommentWe’re running out of materials – and of time to do something about it
To secure a liveable future we need to develop our understanding of materials and identify more opportunities for their reuse, writes Andrew Mellor of PRP
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NewsICE seeks views on policies to improve UK infrastructure’s climate resilience
Civil engineers body says country needs to be better prepared for extreme weather events
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CommentIntegrated approach to planning is key to climate resilience success
We must work together to make sure that what we do is really best for the environment
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CommentClimate committee seeks more regulation
Several of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations for further government action concern the built environment
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CommentContract clauses for the climate
The Chancery Lane Project brings together lawyers to draft contract clauses that incentivise climate positive practice
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NewsEnergy new build must increase five-fold to meet net zero targets, says Atkins
Engineering firm disputes claims of progress in CCC report
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CommentA strategy for another age and no solution to the current crisis
The government’s energy security strategy focuses on long-term solutions to longstanding problems. But the UK has more immediate concerns
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CommentWhy don’t we care more about preserving biodiversity?
The devastating impact of climate change is widely known but the degradation of our planet’s biodiversity is just as detrimental to its health