Adapting construction products to climate change (CoprAdapt)

Mission objectives

Identify the construction products most vulnerable to climate change in Belgium, and propose a method to prioritise adaptation measures for the sector.

Achievements and impact

• Overview of climate projections for Belgium and of the exposure of the built environment: flooding, sea level rise, groundwater fluctuations, soil drought, heat, solar radiation, wildfires.
• Identification of vulnerabilities by product family under the EU Construction Products Regulation. Concrete, timber, windows and doors, external wall finishes and roof coverings are among the most exposed.
• Analysis of vulnerabilities in construction material supply chains.
• A multi-criteria method to prioritise product groups by 2050, tested on the Belgian market. It combines five criteria: climate impact, contribution to mitigation, environmental impact, socio-economic weight and dependence on critical raw materials.
• A 7-question methodological framework, adapted from the GIZ Vulnerability Sourcebook, to define policy pathways for each priority product group.