Built Environment Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2022-2026
Victorian Government
The Built Environment system comprises our cities, towns, suburbs and regional areas, along with supporting infrastructure and services. This plan sets out the Victorian Government’s proposed actions during the next 5 years to respond to climate change risks to our built environment.
The plan is needed because our climate is already changing, and decisive action to adapt now will reduce current and future risks, build social and economic resilience, and ensure Victoria is best placed to protect our wellbeing.
An average global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could be reached in the early 2030s, under all emissions scenarios. Without rapid, significant and sustained action to reduce global emissions, under the high and very high scenarios, 2 degrees Celsius would be exceeded by around 2050. The frequency and intensity of extreme events is projected to increase with each increment of additional warming, which we must be prepared for. This plan aims to be in line with Victoria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.
Climate change threatens the integrity of the built environment’s assets and its ability to provide reliable services. This requires action so the built environment can respond to emergencies, cope with climate-related hazards and, ultimately, transform to be climate resilient.
A climate-resilient system will support communities and organisations to withstand the impacts of climate change. These impacts can be cumulative and often have a complex interplay with other issues, such as social vulnerability. In responding to these challenges, we can build on existing adaptation practices, strengthening and extending them to develop resilient assets and infrastructure that accommodate community needs, particularly for those experiencing disadvantage or pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Governments, industry and the community all have a role to play in climate change adaptation, which must proceed alongside strong action to reduce Victoria’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The Victorian Government is committed to reducing Victoria’s emissions to net zero by 2050 and building resilient communities to deal with the impacts of climate change. The proposed actions in this plan will help our state adapt to the climate change that has already been locked in.
Developing and implementing adaptation response measures will be a process of continuous improvement, not a one-off step. It requires a program of staged actions, with each phase adjusted in response to changing climatic conditions and knowledge gained along the way.
Contents:
Minister’s Foreword
Executive Summary
1: Introduction
2: Governance, Roles And Responsibilities
3: Climate Change And The Built Environment System
4: Key Climate Change Risks, Gaps And Opportunities For The Built Environment System
5: Climate Change Adaptation Actions: 5 Year Plan
6: Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting And Improvement
Appendix 1: Legislation And Policy Relevant To Built Environment Adaptation
Appendix 2: Cross-System Risks And Responses
Appendix 3: Glossary And Abbreviations