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Climate risk emerges from the interaction of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. [4] Hazards refer to climate-related physical events or trends that have the potential to cause damage or loss, while exposure encompasses the presence of assets, services, resources, and infrastructure that may be affected. For the purposes of this credit, natural hazards include drought, extreme heat or cold, flooding, hurricanes and high winds, hailstorms, landslides, sea level rise, storm surge, tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfires and smoke, and winter storms. [5] For each identified hazard, the team must complete the Climate Resilience Assessment Template or an equivalent, documenting exposure, risk levels, and potential mitigation strategies.

Vulnerability is the tendency or predisposition to experience negative effects. It can include things such as land use, public infrastructure, the burden of disease in the population, and previous exposure to hazards. [6] A climate and natural hazard assessment evaluates the potential risks climate change and natural hazards pose to a project, helping to identify, analyze, and plan for these risks to protect the long-term safety, functionality, and resilience of infrastructure, communities, and ecological systems.

Identification of Priority Hazards

Based on the assessment, project teams must identify at least two priority hazards by evaluating site-specific climate conditions, historical hazard data, projected future risks, and the building’s exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The assessment should incorporate regional climate models, hazard mitigation plans, and available climate risk databases to determine the likelihood and severity of each potential hazard. Teams should also consider how local infrastructure, soil conditions, and water management systems may exacerbate or mitigate risks.

To support this evaluation, project teams can use tools such as the Federal Emergency Management System’s (FEMA) National Risk Index, NOAA Climate Explorer, [7] or state and municipal hazard mitigation and adaptation plans to identify patterns of past and projected hazard events. Stakeholder engagement with local authorities, utilities, and community resilience groups can further inform risk prioritization. For example, if a site is in a flood-prone area with increasing extreme precipitation events, flooding may be identified as a priority hazard due to its potential to damage flooring, walls, and electrical systems. Similarly, in regions

4 “Climate hazard assessment,” Climate Resilience Policy Indicator, International Energy Agency, 2022, https://www.iea.org/reports/climate-resilience-policy-indicator/climate-hazard-assessment. 5 D. D. Saulnier, A. M. Dixit, A., A. R. Nunes, and V. Murray, “Disaster risk factors – hazards, exposure and vulnerability,” WHO Guidance on Research Methods for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management, accessed March 31, 2025, https://extranet.who.int/kobe_centre/sites/default/files/pdf/WHO%20Guidance_Research%20Methods_Health-EDRM_3.2.pdf. 6 “A Framework for Understanding Vulnerability”, U.S. Global Change Research Program, accessed March 31, 2025, HTTPS://health2016.globalchange.gov/populations-concern. 7 “Home page”, The Climate Explorer, accessed March 31, 2025, https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/.

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Operations and Maintenance, April 2025 Launch Edition 23