Climate change, that unnerving phenomenon we read about in Science books, has grown to a grave reality facing today’s world. It manifests as inclement weather changes, often abrupt, affecting livelihoods through storms, floods, and droughts. It also leads to food security issues, poverty, and revenue losses for businesses.
Commercial buildings can suffer significantly as climate change becomes severe. The impact is more pronounced in areas like Denver and Los Angeles, which have suffered floods, droughts, and wildfires in the recent past. These events have increased the urgency for commercial roof maintenance and repairs, which are now a sizable component of annual budgets.
The US EPA notes that climate change will continue to impact business costs in the years to come. It can disrupt critical coastal infrastructure, halting transportation and compelling people (including workers) to relocate to safer areas.
With reality hard to dispel, the best we can do is prepare our buildings to withstand these changes. It requires more than perfunctory upgrades; it demands a paradigm shift.
Sustainable By Design
For many business owners, sustainability is a buzzword thrown around in annual reports and CSR initiatives. The United Nations highlights that greenwashing deception has become a serious problem, wherein companies misrepresent or inflate their environmentally friendly actions.
Such false claims don’t help preserve the planet, which requires us to reduce emissions as quickly as possible, striving for net zero by 2050.
Commercial properties must steer clear of such window-dressing and aim for in-built sustainability. That is, sustainable development must be a design principle, ingrained in these properties from the inception stage. Consider buildings that utilise eco-friendly materials in construction and contain energy-efficient facilities. Many also have waste reduction options.
According to Sustainability Magazine, the Olympic House in Switzerland and the London City Hall are among the most sustainable constructions globally. They meet rigorous standards for eco-friendliness that are an example to other projects. Little things, such as ground-source heat pumps and carpets made from fishing nets, add up to buildings that inspire and encourage.
Preventive, Rather Than Reactive, Planning
In 2024-25, unexpected floods swept over large areas of the US, including Texas and Chicago. CNN reported several flash flood events linked to heavy rainfall, which is often connected to human-driven activities.
Several residential and commercial facilities now face the brunt of nature’s wrath. Apart from floods, our planet also witnesses more frequent wildfires, which cause immense destruction and can be difficult to control. Reuters reported that the Los Angeles wildfires were one of the priciest natural disasters in US history, reaching $20 billion.
Given these circumstances, commercial property owners cannot rely on reactive management. Addressing the damage caused by floods and wildfires proves to be immensely expensive, especially when the properties are ill-prepared. Instead, the need of the hour is adopting a preventive approach that can curtail the extent of damage.
One strategy to achieve this is through preventive inspections of commercial properties. For instance, commercial roofs may be susceptible to clogged gutters or damaged flashing. Professional checks can identify issues before they become full-blown problems, and give you time to prepare financially and logistically.
In October this year, floodwaters affected many properties in Colorado due to overflows in rivers and creeks. Cities like Denver, which have long faced the possibility of flooding, have infrastructural support in the form of open-air channels to prevent buildings from floodwaters.
Integrity Pro Roofing recommends roof inspections to complement these measures, helping property owners determine the service life remaining before a replacement will be needed. These checks are necessary for all types of roofs, like PVC and metal.
Technology as a Facilitator
Another paradigm shift that commercial building owners should seriously consider is adopting technology with care, not resistance. When accepted and implemented optimally, tech-based solutions can effectively prepare buildings for a climate-change-addled world.
Solutions driven by artificial intelligence (AI) can monitor a property’s facilities with greater efficiency, providing real-time analytics. For example, smart digital solutions can identify possible issues in the HVAC system or suboptimal water management. Warehouses can benefit from smart dehumidification systems or temperature control mechanisms that prevent spoilage of perishable goods.
The World Economic Forum also strongly recommends technology-enabled adaptation to become more resilient to climate change. It recommends exploring early warning systems and digital infrastructure through a shared, collaborative model. Cooperation will be necessary as extreme weather events increase in frequency, likely crossing 560 annually by the end of this decade.
Some contractors have started introducing these changes into building plans from the initial phases. They treat climate change as a veritable reality and prepare blueprints that view it as such, instead of a surprise that hits everyone like a literal storm.
Such foresight is now easier to obtain, thanks to the support from AI-based predictive analytics and real-time data sources. The measures could be straightforward yet far-reaching, such as renewable energy sources for water heating or optimizing natural light by installing larger windows.
Of course, being ready will also mean having an emergency response and a disaster preparedness plan in place. No amount of planning can prepare us for nature’s wrath in full measure, but having a plan can dull the blow to some extent.
