Businesses must collaborate to strengthen resilience against worsening climate impacts
The most effective resilience strategies harness the collective skills of both the private and public sectors, writes AECOM’s Robert Spencer
The recent IPCC report sends the clearest message yet on the need for urgent action if we are to avert the worst impacts of climate change. But we also know much more since the panel’s previous assessment in 2014 and have a greater understanding of climate science. We know how to bring down emissions, and businesses must now urgently focus investment on rapid action to reach their net zero carbon targets by 2030.
While achieving net zero is critical, perhaps more alarming is the report’s stark warning on the need for resilience. Some aspects of climate change are now inevitable, and we need to be ready to respond to expected threats. Businesses will need to drive in resilience to anticipate, absorb and recover from the effects of climate related events.
This requires organisations to look at their property portfolio and undertake serious resilience assessments. Going forward, potential threats are likely to diversify and become more wide-ranging, which could include flooding, water shortages, fire and overheating. Climate resilience planning should be on every company’s risk register.
There are undoubtedly lessons to be learned from around the world, with many regions already suffering the impacts of climate change. Businesses with operations in countries that have suffered wildfires and other extreme weather events in recent years will have valuable knowledge to share. It is increasingly likely that the UK will suffer more impacts as a result of the changing climate and planning for these new extremes must not be overlooked.
Of course, effective resilience planning cannot happen in isolation. Climate events impact lives, so contingency planning must go beyond an organisation’s own business operations. Keeping the workplace operational will have little benefit if employees aren’t able to get to work, for example. This requires businesses to take a bigger role in protecting the whole system, from their supply chains to the communities in which they operate.
Raising awareness among employees and helping them to plan for and recover from climate events is key. Employers have a responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and that includes climate risk. The global pandemic provides valuable lessons on how to quickly communicate and deploy operational and behavioural modifications in response to an emergency.
The public and private sectors need to work together to share expertise and use their collective skills to align business, regional and national resilience plans. Certainly, the greatest impact will be felt through collaborative action. Now is the time to foster greater collaboration and develop the solutions that will build better climate resilience for both business and society.
Robert Spencer is business line director for ESG at AECOM.
