Cities and their building stocks face increasing challenges due to growing heatwaves, longer periods of drought and more frequent heavy rainfall events. Consequently, climate adaptation is becoming a core task for the real estate sector. While in recent years the focus has primarily been on the energy efficiency of properties, aspects such as outdoor area design, greening measures and the development of climate-resilient management concepts are now gaining increasing relevance.
With the recently published White Paper GEFMA 984-5 “Climate Adaptation as a Task of Facility Management”, GEFMA – the German Association for Facility Management – presents a comprehensive overview of the role of climate adaptation in property operations for the first time. The publication was developed by an interdisciplinary team of experts from GEFMA's Sustainability working group. The impetus for this initiative was the lack of standardised key figures for the management of climate-adapted existing properties. Particularly for measures such as green roofs and facades or the de-sealing of surfaces, there had previously been no reliable basis for tenders and economic evaluations within the context of building operations.
The new GEFMA White Paper is aimed at a wide range of stakeholders in the real estate industry, including investors, owners, operators, asset and property managers, and facility management service providers. It explains the fundamental principles of climate adaptation and illustrates the effects of climate change on urban districts, individual properties, and all affected parties. Ecological and social benefits are presented by way of example, as are the necessary investment and management costs associated with climate adaptation measures.
The Role of Facility Management
The publication underlines the key role of facility management in the practical implementation of climate adaptation strategies. This importance is illustrated by two concise practical examples. One example demonstrates the organisation of digital flood protection in building operations. Another example, “Lawn versus Wildflower Meadow”, shows the level of detail with which tenders must be formulated in the future to enable a valid economic comparison between conventional and climate-adapted measures.
Regina Zeitner, head of the author team and a member of GEFMA's Sustainability working group, explained that climate adaptation is not a future but a current business, social and insurance-relevant necessity. She further emphasised that facility management plays a central role in this, as it manages and develops the building stock, understands the internal and external processes of properties, and can thus translate climate adaptation from concept into concrete operation. The White Paper therefore offers comprehensive guidance for all stakeholders in the real estate industry. It summarises the essential aspects of climate adaptation in existing buildings and outlines the technical, economic and organisational foundations required for successful implementation in operation.
- —Comprehensive guidance for climate adaptation in existing buildings.
- —Presentation of ecological, social and economic aspects.
- —Practical examples for the implementation of measures.
- —Source: GEFMA online shop, free for members, 59,- EUR plus VAT for external parties.
