Extreme weather events related to climate change, which directly affect industrial areas, can be extremely damaging for local communities and enterprises. In the case of flooding, enterprises face potentially large economic losses (e.g. through stoppages to production and damage to equipment and buildings), affecting also the supply-chain. Supply chains can also be affected by climate conditions, and the effects can be widespread due to geographically-dispersed actors.

The main objective of the LIFE IRIS (“Improve Resilience of Industry Sector”) project is to support enterprises (in particular small and medium, SMEs) in their efforts to become more climate-resilient, increasing the awareness of industrial and financial operators about the effects (threats and opportunities) of climate change on industrial production in order to contribute to develop a low carbon economy and a resources efficient consumption; moreover it aims to test the effectiveness of the adaptation measures applied through a cluster approach (industrial area and supply-chain analysis).

Under the project, ERGO has contributed to the development of an innovative tool, that helps SMEs to identify and assess the risks for companies arising from their exposure to climate change, such as the damage to structures caused by extreme events or possible disruptions to business continuity related to the scarcity of agricultural raw materials in the supply chain.

For further information, please consult the official page of the project www.lifeiris.eu