Climate Risk Report: Do I Need One?

Buying a home isn't as simple as purchasing the house, and nothing else changes. The ever-changing climate is a serious consideration when purchasing a property. A climate risk report will help predict any potential climate risks to the property you're looking to purchase.

This search is not mandatory, but the Law Society is actively encouraging its members to inform homebuyers that this option is available, to help them make more fully informed property purchasing decisions.

Worried about the future of the property you wish to purchase? This article covers the climate risks that could affect your home many years from now.

Soil Subsidence Coastal Erosion Extreme Wind Days Riverine Flooding Surface Water Flooding Coastal Flooding Medium and High emission scenarios Risks estimates at intervals up until the 2080's

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As we continue to miss global emission goals, many of us are becoming more concerned with the effects of climate change. While the environmental searches are based on historical data, this new report factors in predicted risks based on forecasted likelihood of extreme weather and flooding.

These reports are localised and are based on the most likely scenario being 'medium emissions' resulting in an increase to global temperatures of 2.4 °C by the 2100s.

What is a climate risk report?

The climate report is designed for purchasers of residential property, to help them understand the potential risks to the home now, compared to the 2050s's based on 6 factors of climate change:

• Soil Subsidence

  Soil subsidence is usually caused by clay-related shrinkage and swelling, peat shrinkage, and sand washout. These will occur to varying degrees depending on rainfall levels, flash flooding, and extreme temperatures. Large roots growing into the foundations can also damage the building's structural integrity, but removing vegetation completely makes the ground less resilient to both dry and wet conditions and reduces shade, which can be beneficial in the hotter months.

• Coastal Erosion

  Extreme weather and rising sea levels put cliffs in certain coastal areas at risk of collapse. Certain areas have been identified within a projected 'coastal erosion exposure zone' based on predictions up until the 2080s. The report will identify whether the property falls within the exposure zone.

• Extreme Wind Days

  High winds and heavy storms can pose a serious threat to buildings. Winds can drive rain into the building fabric, causing decay over time. Extreme wind can lift the roof off the building and twist or shear the frame from its foundations. If high winds break a door or window, or hurl an object that pierces the building, the risk of structural failure greatly increases.

• Riverine Flooding

  Riverine (fluvial) flooding affects properties near bodies of water, which may overflow due to heavy rainfall, insufficient or failing flood defences, or the obstruction of the water body. This can happen when high levels of sand or soil fill the riverbed after heavy rain, or larger debris blocks the flow of water.

• Surface Water Flooding

  Surface water (pluvial) flooding occurs when rainwater pools on the land's surface due to heavy rainfall and insufficient drainage infrastructure. Drier ground deflects water, allowing it to run off rather than be absorbed, so extreme dry and wet weather can cause heavy rainfall to flood lower-lying areas.

• Coastal Flooding

  Rising sea levels and harsher storms mean that certain coastal areas are at greater risk of flooding. These areas have been identified within a projected 'coastal flooding exposure zone' based on predictions up until the 2080s.
  
  The report will identify whether the property falls within the exposure zone. The report rates the hazard exposure for each factor on a scale of 5 levels: No exposure, Very low, Low, Medium & High, for both the medium and high emissions scenarios. Some factors, which can be more accurately predicted, are scored for each decade from the present until the 2080s, while others are scored for the present, the 30s, 50s, and 70s.