Climate Change: Legal, Insurance & Contracting Practices-Climate Change Legal, Insurance & Contracting Practices Slides 1

Climate Change Legal, Insurance & Contracting Practices Slides 1

Pdf Summary

The presentation "Climate Change and the Built Environment: The Role of Governance and Regulation" by Stephanie Kruel explores how governance and regulatory frameworks must evolve to address climate change impacts effectively. It distinguishes between government (formal institutions) and governance (broader societal and institutional collaboration), emphasizing that our traditional, reactive approach—based on static environmental assumptions—is inadequate in a changing climate. Current regulations, like stormwater rules and FEMA flood maps, rely on historical data that no longer reliably predict future conditions.<br /><br />Incremental regulatory adjustments, such as adopting Coastal Flood Resilience Overlay Districts in zoning or updating building codes to improve flood resistance for new construction, represent near-term, small-step improvements. However, these have limitations—for example, zoning often doesn't apply to existing buildings, and Massachusetts restricts local building code changes.<br /><br />Transformational governance requires flexible, responsive systems incorporating key capabilities: comprehensive information, stakeholder engagement, prioritization, updated regulations, district-scale flood protection, improved infrastructure, and continuous monitoring and evaluation. Governance at the watershed scale is highlighted as a promising approach to better align land use and water management decisions, reflecting the scale at which climate impacts and data operate.<br /><br />Engineers, design professionals, and planners play a critical role in this transition by contributing to rating systems, advocating for regulatory updates, and fostering a culture that prioritizes climate adaptation. The presentation underscores the need for integrated, adaptive governance mechanisms supported by state-level collaboration to enhance resilience amid ongoing climate challenges.

Keywords

Climate Change

Built Environment

Governance

Regulation

Flood Resilience

Zoning

Building Codes

Watershed Scale

Adaptive Governance

Climate Adaptation