Abstract

Climate change amplifies a range of environmental risks such as rising sea levels, wildfires, and extreme weather events, and requires us to consider the resilience of existing and future buildings to these risks. The housing sector will be an important space for implementing emerging climate change adaptation policies and requirements. This intersection underscores the urgent need for proactive and innovative approaches to climate adaptation in the housing sector, ensuring long-term viability and resilience for Canadian communities in a changing climate. This study is focused on one of the key actors in the housing sector: private residential developers. It aims to better understand how developers perceive climate risks, their role in adapting to these risks, the barriers, and the opportunities they face in adapting their business operations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insight into how developers perceive the issue of climate change adaptation, their capacity to adapt to a changing climate and to validate interpretations through direct conversations. Additionally, a document analysis of publications by industry associations and company reports scrutinized how developers publicly report on their adaptation efforts. This research aims to establish a baseline understanding of the role Canadian residential developers are currently playing in designing and implementing adaptation measures, as well as their capacity to adapt to a changing climate. Results show that although many firms are implementing strategies and actions to address climate risks, there are no concerted efforts by the building industry to integrate climate adaptation into their business operations, due to varying degrees of willingness and capacity. With limited governmental leadership, guidance, and regulatory pressures to enforce the necessity of adaptation, for many, adaptation is simply not a priority. Additionally, findings raise concerns that there is no formal definition of what constitutes “adaptation”, which may lead to urban green grabbing and green gentrification.