Your Development

The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: climate change presents very serious global risks, and it demands an urgent global response (Stern, 2006). In Australia, the climate in the 21st century is virtually certain to be warmer, with changes in extreme events and without further adaptation, potential impacts of climate change are likely to be substantial (IPCC, 2007).

Australia has a wide range of climate regimes, and experiences large annual variations in rainfall with droughts, fires and floods being common. The surrounding oceans play a large part in Australia’s climate, which is strongly influenced by El Nino Southern Oscillation occurrences. Many Australian sectors and systems are highly vulnerable to climate change – including the property sector. Preparing Australia for the unavoidable impacts of climate change is imperative. Australia’s climate is clearly changing and increasing temperatures with associated heat waves, changes in rainfall distribution, and increases in extreme weather events will become more commonplace.

Implications

The main impacts of climate change with implications for Australian buildings are:

• increased energy consumption for air-conditioning due to higher temperatures 
• health effects to occupants due to over-heating
• increased risk of damage from more intense tropical cyclones and storms and stronger winds, and from increased cracking of drier soils
• increased damage from flooding
• increased bushfire risk

Increased cooling load is expected for most parts of Australia. Increases in energy demand for summer cooling will be offset by decreased heating loads for locations in cooler climate zones. For office buildings, reduced heating loads in cooler climates are less significant due to the high internal loads from equipment and lighting.

More frequent hot spells could have significant health implications because elevated temperatures over extended periods stress the cardiovascular system, especially when temperatures remain relatively high overnight. The temperatures people experience during hot spells will be influenced by the buildings they inhabit.
Temperature also affects the capacity to work. Fatigue increases at higher temperatures and people find it harder to concentrate and accidents are more likely to happen.  The threshold at which capacity to work and study begins to decrease depends on acclimation and type of work.

Climate change may increase the risk of structural damage to buildings, especially damage resulting from strong winds associated with more intense tropical cyclones and storms.  Residential buildings are considered more vulnerable to such damage than commercial buildings.  A lesser risk to the structure of buildings arises from possible increased cracking as soils become drier.

The risk of bushfires is expected to increase as the climate changes and this will increase the risk to property.  It should be noted, however, that severe bushfire frequency in any particular location is not likely to exceed one every fifteen years because of the time needed for fuel loads to rebuild.

Flooding is expected to become more frequent as the climate changes and the risk to buildings in some areas will increase.

See: Your Building for building specific adaptation options.

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Case study - Charles Sturt University

The Charles Sturt University in Thurgoona (Albury) on the New South Wales–Victoria border is a good example of adaptation (of a series) of buildings to the dry climate of southeast Australia, a region that receives most of its rainfall in winter and spring (refer to http://www.csu.edu.au/division/marketing/tms/T101/T101p3.htm ).

The designers made specific recognition of the climate when plans were developed for a formerly degraded (by land clearing and farming) site. The Student Pavilion (completed in 1996) became the prototype for other buildings on the site. It includes rammed earth walls, concrete floors for optimum solar capture, solar panels that collected heat, seasonal rainwater, and shaded windows framed with recycled plantation timber.
 
Lessons learned from the Pavilion process have allowed for improvements to be incorporated during the subsequent construction of other buildings and infrastructure on the campus (e.g. stormwater recycling; greywater treatment and re-use and composting toilets).

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Key Issues

Benefits

Corporate responses to climate change may alter brand values and perceptions among customers, staff, suppliers and shareholders. Climate change presents a number of opportunities, as well as risks, to a developer and the wider organisation. The benefits of addressing climate change can be categorised as:

Market differentiation:

• Properties are likely to sell or let at a higher price as clients are attracted to well designed buildings, properly protected from climate change risks.
• Opportunity to position and market the organisation as a market leader on climate proofed buildings and highlights the organisation’s “sustainability credentials” to clients, staff and investors.

Staff:

• Improve productivity and working conditions for staff and ensuring that the premises are comfortable in the changing climate.
• First mover advantage and competitive edge as there is evidence that socially and environmentally responsible companies are more likely to recruit and retain the best talent.

Assist innovation, creativity:

• Encourage staff to find new innovative solutions to building long-term sustainable developments.

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Development phase actions

Design

Actions required during the design phase are highly dependent and driven by the risks and opportunities identified in the feasibility and planning phase. Likely design issues include:

Demonstrate the building is/has:

• Strong enough or able to be strengthened if wind speeds increase in the future;
• Strong enough to avoid movements due to future levels of subsidence;
• Drainage systems at entrance thresholds can cope with more intense rainfalls; and
• Designed to reduce heat gains in summer and infiltration from increased wind and temperatures.

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Construction

As the impacts of climate change intensify there may be consequences for the construction phase such as;

Health and safety at the construction site

With hotter and drier days, there are health and safety issues for builders / contractors and other building personnel as a result of the construction process. In South Australia (as elsewhere across Australia), staff are required to cease work once outside (or inside) temperatures reach 36°C. With more very hot days predicted, work disruption is likely to increase, potentially increasing building delays and costs. This provides opportunities for different and improved construction practices that allow staff to keep working with extreme heat e.g:

• Prefabrication and off-site construction
• Provide shading and ventilation where appropriate
• Manage delays through contractual agreements
• Manage concrete placement to ensure the maximum strength and durability of concrete structures is maintained (CIRIA 2005).

Costs of building products, material and transport

• Applied carbon charges will create winners and losers among building products and materials. Materials with large carbon footprints from greenhouse gas intensive manufacturing processes (see Risks : Supply Chain) or with long transport distances will likely become more expensive;
• Rising fuel prices and increased fuel scarcity (primarily oil, petrol and diesel) will increasingly incentivise developments with low transport distances for staff and products.

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