Product Overview

Summary: This Climate Change Adaptation Standard Operating Procedure provides a practical, step-by-step framework for assessing climate risks and embedding adaptation measures across your operations. Designed for Australian organisations, it turns high-level climate commitments into clear actions that protect your people, assets, supply chains and reputation in a changing climate.

Climate change is already affecting Australian workplaces through more frequent heatwaves, severe storms, bushfire smoke events, flooding and supply chain disruption. Many organisations have commitments under WHS law, environmental legislation and ESG frameworks, but struggle to turn those commitments into a consistent, repeatable process. This Climate Change Adaptation Standard Operating Procedure bridges that gap by providing a clear method to identify climate-related risks, prioritise adaptation options, and integrate them into everyday planning, design and operations.

The SOP guides you through establishing governance, assessing exposure to physical climate risks (acute and chronic), engaging with workers and key stakeholders, and embedding adaptation into WHS risk management, asset management, procurement and business continuity. It is tailored to the Australian regulatory and climatic context, aligning with guidance from Safe Work Australia, state and territory WHS regulators, and leading climate risk frameworks. By implementing this procedure, your organisation can move beyond ad‑hoc responses to extreme weather and build a proactive, evidence-based adaptation program that stands up to board, regulator and insurer scrutiny.

Whether you are a council, construction firm, manufacturer, health service, education provider or professional services organisation, this SOP provides a practical roadmap. It supports you to document decisions, demonstrate due diligence, and engage your workforce in adaptation initiatives that improve both safety and long-term business resilience.

Key Benefits

• Embed a consistent, organisation-wide process for identifying and managing climate-related risks.
• Strengthen WHS and business resilience by planning for extreme heat, storms, bushfire smoke, flooding and supply chain disruption.
• Support compliance with Australian WHS duties, risk management obligations and emerging climate disclosure expectations.
• Improve decision-making for assets, projects and procurement by integrating climate projections and adaptation criteria.
• Provide clear documentation that demonstrates due diligence to boards, regulators, insurers and auditors.

Who is this for?

• Directors and Executive Leadership
• WHS Managers and HSE Advisors
• Risk and Compliance Managers
• Business Continuity and Resilience Managers
• Sustainability and ESG Managers
• Facilities and Asset Managers
• Operations Managers
• Local Government Officers
• Project Managers
• Environmental Managers

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose, Scope and Objectives
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Climate Concepts
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Governance
• 4.0 Regulatory, WHS and ESG Context
• 5.0 Climate Risk Identification and Data Sources
• 6.0 Climate Risk Assessment Methodology (Likelihood and Consequence)
• 7.0 Integration with WHS and Enterprise Risk Management
• 8.0 Adaptation Planning and Option Prioritisation
• 9.0 Implementation Planning (Actions, Owners, Timeframes)
• 10.0 Integration with Asset Management, Projects and Procurement
• 11.0 Worker Consultation, Communication and Training
• 12.0 Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
• 13.0 Documentation, Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements
• 14.0 Emergency and Business Continuity Linkages
• 15.0 Appendices – Climate Risk Register Template and Adaptation Action Plan Template

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and state/territory equivalents
• Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice
• Safe Work Australia – Guide for Managing the Risks of Working in Heat
• AS ISO 31000:2018 Risk management – Guidelines
• AS 5334:2013 Climate change adaptation for settlements and infrastructure – A risk based approach
• National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy (Australian Government)
• AS ISO 14001:2016 Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use