Climate Change Resilience Statement

Climate change resilience is now a key planning requirement in the City of London. Developments must demonstrate how buildings will respond to future climate conditions over their full operational lifespan. Local Plan Policy DM15.5 requires major developments to show resilience through a Sustainability Statement supported by robust technical evidence.

A Climate Change Resilience Statement brings this evidence together. At Syntegra Group, we prepare coordinated statements that integrate multiple environmental services into one clear, policy-led report.

City of London Climate Change Adaptation Context

The City of London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy concludes that the city is likely to experience hotter, drier summers, milder, wetter winters, and more frequent extreme high temperatures and heavy downpours of rain¹. These changes will place increased pressure on buildings, infrastructure, and public spaces.

Buildings being planned today will experience these conditions during their lifetime. As a result, they must perform under a wider range of weather conditions than existing buildings. Designing historical climate data alone is no longer sufficient.

Why Climate Change Resilience Statements Matter in Planning

The City Corporation recognises that existing assessment frameworks, including BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes, do not currently include climate change adaptation and resilience in sufficient detail². For this reason, developers are expected to address adaptation explicitly through the Sustainability Statement.

The Climate Change Resilience Statement ensures that climate risk is considered alongside energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and environmental performance at the planning stage.

Minimum Adaptation Measures Expected by Policy

Developers are expected, as a minimum, to consider the following measures within a Climate Change Resilience Statement:

Solar shading to prevent excessive solar gain through glazing
High thermal mass building fabric to moderate internal temperature fluctuations
Cool roofs, green roofs, and green walls to reduce overheating and heat retention
Urban greening to improve the microclimate and enhance biodiversity
Rainwater attenuation and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to prevent surface water flooding
Flood risk assessment and mitigation to address flooding from all sources
Biodiversity protection and enhancement to enable wildlife to adapt to changing climate conditions
Air quality impact assessment to ensure developments do not increase vulnerability to photochemical smog
Passive ventilation and heat recovery to maintain comfort while limiting energy demand

Evidence-Based Benefits of Climate-Responsive Design

UK climate projections indicate that summer temperatures could rise by over 2°C by the 2050s, while extreme rainfall intensity may increase by **up to 40%**¹. Evidence shows that green roofs and shading strategies can reduce peak surface temperatures by 30–40°C, improving comfort and reducing cooling demand³.

These measures improve resilience, protect occupants, and support long-term asset value.

How Syntegra Group Supports Planning Compliance

Syntegra Group delivers Climate Change Resilience Statements through an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach. By coordinating planning, environmental, and engineering services, we ensure full alignment with Policy DM15.5 and the City of London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.

Our approach reduces planning risk while delivering future-ready, resilient developments.

Conclusion

A Climate Change Resilience Statement is essential for development in the City of London. By addressing overheating, flooding, biodiversity, and air quality together, developers can deliver buildings that remain safe, adaptable, and compliant throughout their lifespan.