Climate risk and adaptation
Climate risk assessments often arrive late and get filed as compliance. By then floor levels, plant locations and shading are fixed, and adaptation becomes a cost instead of a design decision. We screen the hazards, run the risk workshop with your design team, and turn the findings into design recommendations.
Send us your brief and site.
[Why it matters]
Heatwaves, intense rainfall, bushfire and flooding affect how a building performs, what it costs to maintain, and whether it stays usable. A climate risk assessment tests the design against projected climate, not the historical record. It then sets out adaptation measures while they're still cheap to add. In NSW, government asset owners are expected to manage these risks. School projects have a defined assessment method, and Green Star sets climate resilience as a minimum expectation.
[What is a Climate Risk and Adaptation Plan?]
A climate risk assessment covers all relevant hazards across the building's life and sets adaptation priorities. It uses specialist studies where they exist.
AS 5334 applies where the brief calls for it, as NSW Education does. Risk management follows ISO 31000, consistent with the Climate Risk Ready NSW Guide.
We use NARCliM projections in NSW, where agencies are expected to use them under the Common Planning Assumptions. In other states we use national or state datasets.
Covers all relevant hazards across the building's life and sets adaptation priorities.
Specialists quantify a specific hazard. The climate risk assessment uses those studies where they exist.
[What you receive]
Projected changes for the site, using state projections (NARCliM in NSW) and national datasets.
Extreme heat, bushfire, extreme rainfall and flooding, storms, drought, and sea level rise where relevant.
With the design team: likelihood, consequence and a risk rating for each building system and function.
Design responses, operational measures and residual risk, with each action assigned to a responsible party.
To the brief. For example, 2040–2050 and 2070–2090 under 2°C and 4°C-consistent scenarios for NSW schools.
With the Green Star Climate Change Resilience credit or the council SMP.
Site, building use, design life and the requirement you're responding to.
[When do you need one?]
Most briefs come from one of these sources. Each asks for something specific.
NSW Department of Education requires an initial natural hazard and vulnerability assessment during concept design. Where significant risks are found, a comprehensive climate change risk assessment must report on at least two timescales (2040–2050 and 2070–2090), consider scenarios consistent with 2°C and 4°C, and align with AS 5334.
NSW Treasury's mandatory Internal Audit and Risk Management Policy (TPP20-08) treats climate-related risk as a contemporary emerging risk. Agencies are directed to the Climate Risk Ready NSW Guide.
Project-specific SEARs have required climate change risk assessments using NSW climate projections, with adaptation measures in the design. The schools SEARs also require flood assessment to consider the effects of climate change.
Climate Change Resilience is a Green Star Buildings credit. Its minimum expectation is met with GBCA's Climate Change Pre-screening Checklist, which GBCA has updated for v1.1.
The councils' Elevating ESD Targets amendment adds climate resilience as an ESD category.
We run the initial assessment at concept, and the full assessment where risks are significant.
We produce a risk register that fits your risk framework.
[How it works]
Site, building use, design life and the requirement you're responding to.
Standard, scenarios, time horizons and workshop format. Fast-track timeframes are available case by case; timeframes are confirmed at quote.
Climate data, hazard screening and a risk workshop with your design team.
Risk register, adaptation plan and design recommendations, ready for the business case, SEARs response or Green Star submission.
AS 5334 where the brief calls for it, as NSW Education does. Risk management follows ISO 31000, consistent with the Climate Risk Ready NSW Guide.
NARCliM in NSW, where agencies are expected to use it under the Common Planning Assumptions. In other states we use national or state datasets.
No. Flood and bushfire specialists quantify specific hazards. A climate risk assessment covers all relevant hazards across the building's life and sets adaptation priorities. It uses specialist studies where they exist.
At concept design. NSW Education requires the initial assessment at that stage.
[Why Makao]
Heat risk findings feed into our energy and daylight modelling.
Experience on school and government projects, preparing climate risk and adaptation plans to the briefs above.
Reviewed by Kelvin Mureithi, Founder, Makao · Green Star Accredited Professional, ISAP, Engineers Australia member.
