Designing resilient outdoor environments with low-carbon footprint
How climate calculations strengthen resilience in tomorrow’s infrastructure
Infrastructure across Europe is under growing pressure from ageing systems, rapid urbanization, extreme weather, and shifting groundwater levels. Combined with geopolitical challenges, cities must now adapt and expand faster than ever – without increasing their climate footprint.
A central challenge emerges: How can we redesign outdoor environments to reduce their climate impact while simultaneously making them more resilient to future stresses?
Climate calculations as a driver of resilience
Climate impact calculations are increasingly required for new buildings in parts of Europe, yet they are still applied less consistently in landscape and infrastructure projects. This gap matters: infrastructure projects rely heavily on carbon-intensive materials such as concrete, asphalt, aggregates and steel, and research shows that material production often represents one of the largest contributors to total climate impact in road and civil engineering projects.1, 2
Understanding this impact early makes it possible to adjust material choices and construction methods while they are still flexible. Early climate calculations therefore help reduce emissions and inform design decisions that contribute to more robust outdoor environments over time.
How low-carbon design contributes to resilience
Integrating climate data early in the design process strengthens resilience at multiple levels:
- Material choices improve durability. Lower-carbon alternatives – such as recycled aggregates, optimized concrete mixes or bio-based solutions – can offer higher tolerance to heat, erosion and moisture.
- Circular strategies reduce vulnerability. Reusing soils, structures and materials lowers emissions and reduces dependency on supply chains that are increasingly exposed to geopolitical risks.
- Nature-based solutions increase adaptive capacity. Green structures, permeable surfaces and water-smart design reduce flood risk, manage heat and improve performance under extreme weather.
- Better data reduces long-term risk. Climate data enables more accurate scenario modelling and strengthens evidence-based decision-making.
A European shift
Climate- and resilience-driven infrastructure policy is accelerating across Europe:
EU Taxonomy defines clear criteria for climate-resilient and low-carbon assets.
CSRD/ESRS increases requirements for climate data and life-cycle considerations in planning and construction.
Several European transport authorities – including in the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland and Germany – are integrating climate calculations earlier in project cycles and using them as decision-making tools in procurement.
This evolution moves climate data from a sustainability add-on to a fundamental part of risk and consequence management.
Making low-carbon decisions easier
Digital tools now make it easier for designers and infrastructure owners to integrate climate data without slowing down the design process.
AFRY’s CO₂ Guide supports this shift. The tool automatically structures project quantities and material data and visualizes the resulting climate impact. This enables teams to:
- Compare design alternatives rapidly
- Identify emission drivers early
- Prepare more efficient documentation and reporting
- Reuse knowledge across projects
- Reduce project risk and manual workload
Clients benefit from access to proven low-carbon methods and design principles gathered from projects across multiple markets, ensuring consistent outcomes and accelerating the transition to lower-emission solutions.
Why AFRY
Designing resilient outdoor environments requires engineering expertise, climate adaptation, circular strategies and reliable data — integrated from the start. AFRY combines these capabilities across transport infrastructure, landscape architecture, water management and urban development.
We support clients by helping them:
- Upgrade and adapt ageing infrastructure
- Reduce emissions through data-driven design
- Integrate nature-based and circular solutions
- Strengthen resilience against extreme weather
- Meet EU climate requirements and national regulations
- Make informed, long-term decisions based on reliable data
What needs to happen now
For Europe to meet its climate and resilience goals, climate calculations must be integrated upstream – into feasibility studies, concept design and early planning.
Infrastructure owners should now embed climate data into every landscape and infrastructure project from the beginning. This strengthens resilience, reduces emissions and ensures that today’s investments can withstand tomorrow’s conditions.
AFRY supports this shift by combining engineering expertise, digital tools and sustainable design to build resilient, low-carbon outdoor environments across Europe.
