Heat stress is developing into a structural location and building risk for the real estate industry. A Germany-wide analysis by Wüest Partner shows that increasing heat stress is increasingly influencing the quality of the location, usability and the requirements for real estate. Densely populated areas in southwestern Germany are particularly affected.
"Climate risks should be considered at an early stage in location, ESG and investment decisions," says Sophie Nieder, Senior Economic Market Analyst at Wüest Partner. "It is becoming increasingly crucial for investors, owners and municipalities to understand the climatic quality of a site at an early stage and to take the right measures where necessary."
Southwest Germany particularly burdened
The study shows clear regional differences. Particularly high pollution levels are found in densely populated urban areas such as the Rhine-Ruhr area, the metropolitan regions of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, and especially in the Rhine-Neckar and Upper Rhine regions. There, the combination of high basic climatic pollution, dense development and heavy sealing leads to the highest heat stress values in Germany.
In contrast, coastal regions, wooded areas and municipalities with pronounced green and water areas have significantly lower pollution. Above all, the climatic balancing effect of large bodies of water and better air circulation have a relieving effect here.
Microlayer determines heat stress
The study also shows that heat stress should not be considered solely at the level of entire cities. Even between immediately adjacent neighborhoods, considerable differences can occur.
