Extreme weather is a present reality that directly impacts communities, ecosystems, and livelihoods. For businesses, intensifying heatwaves, wildfires, storms, and floods – driven by rising global temperatures – are disrupting supply chains and business continuity.

One function of Commercial HVAC systems is to regulate indoor air quality (IAQ) and maintain optimal energy use within a building. When equipped with the latest technology such as smart controls, IoT, artificial intelligence and integrated into Building Management Systems (BMS), these systems can transform a building’s atmospheric environment.

Commercial HVAC systems with these advanced capabilities can efficiently recycle and distribute clean air throughout the building, providing multiple layers of IAQ efficiency and regulation across the structure. Hyper-responsive sensors can continuously monitor outdoor CO₂ levels by ppm, allowing the system to automatically adjust IAQ settings as needed. This automation ensures rapid responses to changing air quality or extreme weather outside, enhancing both occupant safety, comfort and could potentially even offer a safe haven from outdoor hazards such as heatwaves, wildfires, or severe storms.

When wildfire smoke or pollution hits, how do building sensors spot the danger—and what happens next inside?

Advanced building sensors can be used to anticipate and respond to climate-related hazards in real-time. We deploy advanced outdoor sensors to monitor air quality and particulate matter, this is particularly valuable in regions prone to forest fires. We have also implemented HVAC systems and building management solutions that can adapt in real time to changing indoor and outdoor conditions.

Can you point to a time when these systems actually protected people during a climate event?

Our flagship building for efficiency, IntenCity in Grenoble, France, is a great example where we incorporate several measures to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience. There, we use a building management system that collects data from over 60,000 data sources to monitor and optimize energy use, temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors, which allows the building to adapt in real time to external weather conditions, ensuring comfort and safety while minimizing energy consumption.

In addition, the building integrates renewable energy sources, including solar panels and energy storage systems, which help maintain operations during power outages or extreme weather events, and it is equipped with a thermal insulation, reducing the impact of heatwaves or cold spells.

Our Paris HQ, The Hive, leverages EcoStruxure Building Operation to read alerts from the French national weather forecast and perform demand/response by "moving" loads to off-peak energy periods – e.g. cooling the building at 5am instead of 7am.

Finally, our new office in Dubai, The Nest, is our first Impact Building – a building designed to prioritise both energy efficiency and occupant comfort, demonstrating how smart, integrated building solutions can deliver both. The building is expected to cut energy consumption by 37% compared to the previous site, delivering an estimated 572 metric tons of CO₂ savings annually, equivalent to the annual electricity usage of about 77 homes. This indicates that the advanced technology in use not only supports with extreme weather crises, but with overall sustainability goals.

What’s the toughest part for building operators trying to make their buildings smarter and more resilient? How do they get past it?

Building operators face several key challenges when implementing smart technologies for  climate resilience. Integrating advanced HVAC systems, IoT sensors, and AI-driven controls into existing Building Management Systems (BMS) can be technically complex. Legacy infrastructure may not be compatible with newer technologies, requiring significant upgrades or replacements. There is also a risk of a knowledge gap. Operating smart systems requires new skills in data analytics, system integration, and digital tools which building operators may not have experience in.

By phasing an implementation and working with a trusted partner with expertise in the deployment, building operators can more easily make the shift.

Looking ahead, where does the smart building go as climate risks keep rising?

Ultimately, building resilience is not just about protecting assets, it’s about safeguarding people, operations, and the communities we serve. As extreme weather becomes the norm, we are committed to leading by example and investing in solutions that help our business, our partners, and our industry, adapt to a changing climate.