Identifying climate risks and saving costs - made possible with the Climate Check

Climate change brings along global environmental changes which will undoubtedly be felt in the German economy. So that small and medium-sized manufacturers can properly assess these climate risks and make best-possible preparations, adelphi and Prognos have developed the Climate Check.

In the coming years and decades, the German industry will have to adapt to an increasing number of extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, storms, heatwaves and rising average temperatures. Because of its close ties to global supply and value chains, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) will feel these climate-related environmental changes all the more strongly in the future.

With the "Klimacheck" ("Climate Check"), adelphi and Prognos provide an easy-to-understand and practical guide that companies can use to determine how they in particular will be affected by climate change. The Climate Check combines up-to-date findings from research and practice and supports companies both in early identification of climate risks and in the development of appropriate adaptation strategies. The Climate Check is explicitly aimed at medium-sized manufacturing firms, but could also be relevant for other business sectors, such as logistics.

Recognising and responding to climate risks – with the Climate Check software tool and the corresponding guide

The Climate Check combines a software tool and a guide. The Climate Check Tool consists of four modules which build upon one another and guide companies step-by-step in their approach to climate risks. The modular design helps businesses to categorise themselves as well as to identify and measure relevant climate risks. Moreover, the Climate Check offers concrete recommendations for specific adaptation measures. The Tool is designed so that results from this analysis can be further processed or easily integrated into existing risk management systems.

This software solution is complemented by the Climate Check Guide. The guide not only raises companies’ awareness for climate-related risk factors. It also provides background information on the individual Climate Check modules and explains step-by-step how the tool can be best implemented. The guide and the tool are both based on a comprehensive risk catalogue, which can be found in the appendix of the guide.

The Climate Check was developed on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). It is based on current scientific understanding and is part of the Adaptation Action Plan developed by the German Federal Government, which is providing the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS) with concrete measures.

» Publication: Klimacheck. Leitfaden zum Management von Klimarisiken im industriellen Mittelstand (German only)