It has become widely accepted that our reliance on fossil fuels for transport and energy generation increases greenhouse and contributes to climate change. Construction developments are exposed to a wide range of climate-related risks, such as subsidence and heave, slope instability, mould growth, flooding, degradation of building fabric (particularly cladding) and damage from wind-related events. As the UK's built environment stock is generally expected to last between 50 and 100 years it is essential for the construction industry to understand how projects can be designed today to allow for the uncertain climatic conditions of tomorrow.

The G-8 summit in Gleneagles failed to set any targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and similarly there is little evidence of mainstream UK construction companies implementing (or even considering) possible measures to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Construction industry professionals and developers who ignore the risks posed by climate change do so at their financial peril.

They could face higher insurance premiums, greater maintenance costs, indirect costs associated with reputation and costs relating to contractual arrangements with buildings and infrastructure not meeting the design life.

CIRIA's new publication Implications of climate change for the construction industry (C638) advises that climate-related issues should be addressed through risk-based processes, as the magnitude and timing of climate changes are uncertain.

It explains the possible consequences of climate change for the construction industry and provides designers and constructors with a method for assessing risk (such as those associated with ground movement, rain penetration and wind loading) and how they should be managed, enabling rational decisions to be made about whether to incorporate climate change consequences in project planning.

To buy a copy of Implications of climate change for the construction industry (C638) or for further information visit www.ciriabooks.com or contact CIRIA,