Resilient Buildings & Retrofit

First Graphene Limited has entered a three-year Strategic Partner Agreement with UK-based Vector Companies Group Limited, timed to the commercial launch of Vector's Peltyr printed heat flux sensors incorporating First Graphene's PureGRAPH. The 36-month agreement lets Vector introduce prospective end-users to First Graphene for its broad range of graphene products, and Vector may also purchase products directly under separate purchase orders. The deal broadens an existing relationship and gives First Graphene an additional channel to prospective customers through Vector's network across advanced materials, manufacturing and the built environment. Peltyr is designed to measure the actual rate of heat passing through building fabric such as walls, floors and roofs, enabling users to calculate an in-situ U-value rather than relying solely on modelled assumptions, with applications extending to industrial process monitoring, research, aerospace, automotive, HVAC and meteorology. The global heat flux sensor market is anticipated to reach US$455.8 million by 2034, which First Graphene describes as a significant opportunity to expand its commercial presence. Managing Director and CEO Michael Bell said the launch represents an important milestone for both companies and showcases another example of First Graphene's products transitioning from development into commercial reality.

TTBWEALTH Public Company Limited, or TTBWEALTH, assesses that this round of flooding will have a limited impact on the economy, as it is short-term and severe only in certain areas, unlike the 2011 event that flooded many areas and lasted several weeks to several months. In the short term, some stocks have gained both positive and negative sentiment. The groups benefiting positively include consumer goods retail, led by CPALL, CPAXT and CRC, as well as the home improvement and construction materials group, which is expected to benefit from demand for home repairs after the water recedes, namely HMPRO, GLOBAL, DOHOME, TOA and TASCO. Meanwhile, the groups affected negatively include insurance, such as TIPH, and tourism, namely AOT, ERW and CENTEL. In addition, several listed companies have updated the situation. DELTA reported that some areas were flooded but machinery and factories were not damaged, and operations returned to normal today after production lines were halted last Sunday. CENTEL had only some hotels affected, such as the Lat Phrao area where water entered the lobby, and the Pattaya zone, with a small number of customer cancellations. Its food business saw some sales decline from temporary store closures, but overall the impact is considered limited. MINT stated that most of its hotels are not in flood zones, its properties were not damaged, and it continues to operate normally. CPN confirmed that no shopping centers were closed, though it may be affected by a decline in customer traffic during the floods, and it expects no rental discounts to be offered.

Jatuphat Tangkaravakoon, Chief Executive Officer of TOA Paint (Thailand) Public Company Limited, or TOA, told Than Hoon that flooding in many areas has increased demand for renovating and repairing homes and buildings, or the repair and renovation market. However, demand for paint products and construction materials will not rise immediately after the waters recede and will serve as a long-term supporting factor, since an effective repainting process requires a detailed assessment of damage beforehand. Recovery is also constrained by a shortage of skilled painters who cannot serve everyone at once. The company therefore plans to expand its market in both construction chemicals and repair chemicals, focusing on providing knowledge and principles for home maintenance rather than pushing hard-sell tactics, and will consider adding sales promotion activities or campaigns to stimulate sales at an appropriate time later. The company's main warehouse, located on Bangna-Trad Road at Kilometer 23 in Samut Prakan Province, was not affected by the flooding, as most of the flooded areas are in Bang Bo District and nearby areas, which did not directly affect the main warehouse. Warehouse management, transportation, and the distribution of goods in and out continue to operate normally and smoothly. As for the outlook for the fourth quarter of 2026, the paint market remains stable, as the overall economy and market are not growing strongly, and the flooding, which has spread to provincial areas, has temporarily slowed purchasing power and repair and renovation activity in the regions. The company expects to keep its performance in the final quarter at a stable to slightly growing level in order to achieve its full-year 2026 revenue target of growth of close to 5%, and to prepare for continued growth opportunities through 2027.

Asia Plus Securities said the flooding in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces between 25 and 27 September, caused by continuous heavy rain, led to widespread inundation, with damage concentrated mainly in residential and shophouse segments, which are likely to need repairs once the water recedes. Infrastructure and large construction projects, meanwhile, saw only limited impact. The research team views the most direct beneficiaries as the construction materials group for home repair and decoration, particularly floor and wall tiles such as DCC and SCGD, synthetic wood such as DRT, and house paint such as TOA. The cement group SCC, SCCC and TPIPL is unlikely to gain significantly, while TASCO still lacks a clear catalyst. For contractors, the impact on CK and STECON is limited in both positive and negative terms, with the key issue to watch being clarity on water management plans and government investment in flood protection infrastructure. The research team favours investment in the home repair and renovation group, with a positive view on DCC at a consensus fair value of 1.51 baht, SCGD at a consensus fair value of 6.61 baht, and DRT and TOA at a consensus fair value of 18.03 baht, on the back of post-flood restoration demand, while the upside for CK and STECON still depends on clarity over future government water management investment plans.

Yuanta Securities (Thailand) assessed the impact of the flood situation on listed companies, seeing this round's effects as varying by industry rather than a negative factor for all stocks. The group with the clearest potential benefit after the waters recede is businesses tied to home repair and renovation products, namely HMPRO, GLOBAL, DOHOME, TOA and PIMO. Among these, HMPRO stands to gain the most from products related to electrical systems and home solutions. Meanwhile, consumer goods retailers such as CPALL, BJC and CPAXT are supported by demand for drinking water, dry food and everyday items. The communications group is buoyed by increased internet and data usage, with ADVANC chosen as the sector's top pick. By contrast, the insurance group is hit more directly than many industries, as floods may lead to claims for damage to homes and vehicles, driving up policy benefit expenses, with the impact on earnings likely to become clearer in the fourth quarter of 2026 through the first quarter of 2027. For the remaining industries, the overall picture is seen as not significantly affected, or affected only in the short term. However, the bigger issue to watch is foreign investor confidence should the flood situation drag on, since industrial estate businesses depend heavily on a customer base of foreign direct investment.

DBS Vickers has issued an analysis assessing the impact on Thai stocks from the flood situation in Thailand, which still requires close monitoring, after heavy to very heavy rainfall and water masses from the North flowing into the Central region caused flooding in 25 provinces covering 128 districts. Bangkok and its vicinity faced continuous heavy rain from 25–27 September 2026, causing flooding in many areas. Most recently, rainfall has tended to decrease but repeated rain still needs monitoring, and drainage will take about 1–2 days. The government therefore declared Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan special public holidays on 28–29 September to ease the impact and reduce travel by the public. The research team assesses that the short-term impact on the SET Index comes from negative sentiment toward economic activity, but the impact on operating results is expected to be limited. Stocks expected to benefit include the Home Improvement group such as HMPRO, GLOBAL, and DOHOME, whose short-term impact from rain and flooding pressured traffic, but a boost is expected to begin in 4Q26E after the water recedes from repair and home restoration demand, as well as NEO, which derives 100% of total revenue from consumer products, with a target price of 31.00 baht. Meanwhile, TFMAMA benefits from consumers stockpiling more goods during the floods, and TASCO benefits from road repairs after the water recedes. Stocks expected to be negatively affected include the Ground Transport group such as BEM and BTS, which may see short-term impacts on ridership, with expressway tolls waived until 29 September at 24.00. The impact is seen as limited because the Expressway Authority of Thailand will compensate the companies. The tourism group ERW, CENTEL, AAV, and AOT is seen as slightly negative and a short-term impact. The Energy group such as OR and PTG is expected to see a slight negative impact on downstream energy stocks, with total daily retail oil sales volumes of OR and PTG at approximately 29.4 million and 15.8 million liters in 2Q26, and the number of service stations in the Central, Eastern, and Western regions for OR and PTG at approximately 45% and 37% of total service stations. Meanwhile, the insurance group TIPH, TVH, MTI, BKI, and AYUD is affected by flood compensation payouts. The Commerce group such as CPALL, CPAXT, and BJC continues to see rain and flooding pressure traffic, with some branches in urban areas temporarily closed, but stockpiling of essential goods helps offset some of the impact.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking announced on the 25th that it will expand lending for corporate spending on disaster prevention and climate change measures. As natural disasters caused by climate change, such as heavy rain and floods, increase, the bank aims to support investment in flood-proofing buildings, installing emergency power sources, river improvement, cooling equipment, and developing crops suited to climate change. The bank became the first Japanese financial institution to obtain an opinion from the UK-based nonprofit Climate Bonds Initiative, which promotes such investment, stating that its sustainable finance framework conforms to international standards. This makes it easier for companies to show investors that they are working on disaster prevention and climate change measures if they receive loans through the bank's framework. It also signed a memorandum with the Climate Bonds Initiative together with SMBC Nikko Securities to share knowledge on climate-related standards and evaluation methods and expand the supply of funds to the disaster prevention field. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group aims to handle 50 trillion yen in sustainable finance by fiscal 2029.

The Cabinet meeting approved a draft memorandum of agreement for a project to promote energy-saving and environmentally friendly housing in Thailand, with support from the Global Environment Facility, or GEF. It also authorised the National Housing Authority to sign the agreement together with the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP, and the Thailand Environment Institute, or TEI. The project has a total value of 32.08 million US dollars, or about 1.05 billion baht, of which 3.14 million US dollars, or about 102.86 million baht, is a grant from the GEF through UNEP. The remainder comes from investment funds and matching contributions from the National Housing Authority and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, or EGAT. The project has a five-year implementation framework running from 2026 to 2029, with an extension possible under the agreement. Its goal is to raise the quality of life for low- to middle-income people by giving them access to energy-saving housing, and to help drive greenhouse gas reduction targets under the Paris Agreement. The project has three main activities: developing energy-saving home standards for detached and semi-detached houses along with expanding the No. 5 energy-saving label; bringing in financial institutions to set up low-interest loans so low- to middle-income people can borrow to buy or build energy-saving homes; and developing personnel through training in green building design techniques along with public awareness campaigns. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of State agree that this is an agreement between a government agency and an international organisation, does not qualify as a treaty under Section 178 of the Constitution, creates no additional budget burden for the government, and has already passed legal review by the Attorney General.

New York City's C-PACE administrator has adopted new guidelines that replace a cost-based lending formula with loan-to-value underwriting, potentially increasing loan sizes by roughly 40% for qualifying projects. The new framework caps borrowing at 35% of a property's stabilized value, adds embodied carbon as an eligible measure, and lets lenders disburse funds in tranches rather than a single lump sum at closing. Mike Doty, Nuveen Green Capital's senior director of originations for the Northeast, said the new test is easier to underwrite and could push loan sizes roughly 40% higher. The embodied-carbon change could benefit adaptive reuse projects, including office-to-residential conversions, which preserve more of a building's existing structure than ground-up construction. State legislation now awaiting the governor's signature would codify the loan-to-value and tranche-funding changes into law, giving lenders and sponsors more certainty than guidance alone. Nuveen Green Capital has closed more than $7 billion across over 750 C-PACE deals nationwide, and its C-PACE fund recently topped $1 billion.

A new Capgemini Research Institute report finds that 68% of executives now say their organization actively prioritizes climate adaptation, up from 56% in 2025, yet only 15% have fully quantified the financial impact of climate-related disruptions. The fifth edition of A World in Balance: The resilience reset, based on a survey of 2,100 executives at 701 organizations with more than $1 billion in annual revenue across 13 countries, also shows the share of organizations falling behind on net zero goals rising to 11% in 2026 from 1% in 2025, with 29% saying they have postponed their net zero objectives, compared with just 8% last year. Nearly nine in 10 organizations report climate-related supply-chain disruptions, and more than seven in 10 executives say securing access to critical resources such as energy, water and materials now influences sustainability decisions more than emissions-reduction targets. Sustainability spending reached 1.04% of revenue last year, above the 0.8% initially allocated, and 83% of organizations plan to increase climate adaptation spending over the next 12 to 18 months. Cyril Garcia, Global head of Sustainability services and Corporate Responsibility at Capgemini, said climate disruptions have become the new normal and that leaders can no longer defer climate action.

With natural disasters such as torrential rains and earthquakes occurring one after another, the challenge is whether social infrastructure and housing can be restored quickly after a disaster. The Sanae Takaichi administration has listed disaster prevention and national resilience as one of 17 strategic investment areas, and expectations are growing in both the public and private sectors for the use of artificial intelligence and information and communications technology. According to materials compiled by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in March, the number of licensed construction contractors stood at 484,000 at the end of fiscal 2024, down about 20 percent from the peak at the end of fiscal 1999, while the number of workers in the construction industry in 2024 was about 4.77 million, down roughly 30 percent from the peak in 1997. The share of construction workers aged 55 and older is high at 36.7 percent, while those aged 15 to 29 account for only 11.7 percent. According to Teikoku Databank, construction industry bankruptcies in 2025 rose 6.9 percent from the previous year to 2,021 cases, increasing for a fourth consecutive year and marking the highest level in the past decade. A disaster management agency that will serve as the command center during disasters is scheduled to be established during 2026, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and local governments are advancing the use of satellite data and drone imagery to assess damage, while the introduction of remote-controlled construction machinery and automated construction is also progressing.

Nepal has estimated the damage from last week's severe floods at at least 387.5 billion Nepali rupees, or about $2.56 billion, covering property, homes, and infrastructure. The disaster occurred on August 26 after a glacial lake outburst sent a torrent of water and mud down the Trishuli River, killing more than 1,250 people and leaving over 4,200 missing. Dharma Raj Upreti, head of Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said that in the first four months of initial recovery, an estimated budget of about $52.6 million will be needed for building roads and temporary shelters, providing drinking water, and restoring electricity. Nepal needs to build about 20,000 new homes, of which at least 7,500 were completely destroyed. The damage figure is still a preliminary estimate and may be revised after detailed surveys.

Belgium's public health office reported 2,935 excess deaths above the normal level during three heat waves from June 18 to August 16, representing an excess mortality rate of 22.6%. In the first wave, from June 18 to July 3, there were 2,035 additional deaths, or 48.8% above the expected level, the highest since the analysis of heat wave impacts began in 2000. The other two periods, July 4-17 and July 28-August 16, saw excess deaths of 535 and 365 respectively, with excess mortality rates of 14.8% and 7%. Although those aged 65 and above were the most affected, higher-than-normal deaths were also observed among younger people. This past summer, Europe faced multiple heat waves, while the United Nations weather agency noted that periods of extreme heat are becoming more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting due to climate change.

The Mayor of London's office has released a report saying climate change could cause up to £36 billion, or $50 billion, in damage to London per year by the 2050s, with lost working hours, business disruption, and damage to infrastructure from extreme weather likely to drag down London's gross domestic product. The report recommends that businesses adjust working hours, allow working from home, and relax dress codes, while calling on Transport for London to install air conditioning in new underground trains and find ways to keep trains and platforms cool. The Greater London Authority will prioritise protecting parks, publicising cool spaces, providing more public toilets and drinking water, and increasing shade in public areas. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said climate change is threatening the lives of Londoners and causing hundreds of millions of pounds in economic damage, stressing the need to build cooler homes and buildings, greener and shadier communities, and infrastructure resilient to hotter weather. This summer, five heatwaves and weeks of low rainfall put pressure on the UK's public services, water systems, and infrastructure, while research in July found that the June heatwave caused £1.15 billion in damage to the English economy.

As part of its wooden building strategy, Mitsui Fudosan will complete the Nihonbashi Honcho Mitsui Building &forest in January 2027. The building has 18 floors above ground, stands 84 meters tall, and has a total floor area of approximately 28,000 square meters. It is currently the largest and tallest wooden rental office building in Japan. The structure uses a wooden hybrid design with Takenaka Corporation's fire-resistant laminated timber, Nen-En-Wood, and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by about 30 percent compared to a steel-frame building of similar scale. A total of 1,100 cubic meters of domestically sourced timber is used for structural materials, including about 100 cubic meters from Mitsui Fudosan's own forests in Hokkaido. The building has obtained multiple environmental certifications, including ZEB Ready. It is already fully leased, with a wide range of tenants from IT, research and development, and general Japanese companies valuing it as a showcase for environmental management. Under the &forest brand, Mitsui Fudosan is expanding its wooden building developments, including a logistics facility in Ebina City and plans for a second building in Nihonbashi.

The Government Pension Fund has officially declared its commitment to achieving net zero, while advancing its role as a driver of infrastructure investment to prepare for climate change and an ageing society. Secretary-General Soraphol Tulayasathien said the fund has set guidelines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations, align its investment portfolio with a low-carbon economy, and use its role as an institutional investor to push investee companies toward sustainable business practices, in line with Thailand's goals. The GPF Sustainability Forum 2026 served as a collaborative platform for policymakers, institutional investors, international organisations, the business sector, and academia to set investment directions that generate long-term returns alongside positive impacts on the economy, society, and the environment. The forum proposed accelerating investment in infrastructure that supports climate change adaptation, transition finance, and businesses related to the ageing economy, such as health, technology for the elderly, housing, and financial innovations for longevity. It also proposed developing a Silver Taxonomy as a central standard for classifying elderly-related projects and promoting blended finance mechanisms to support investment in projects that create positive social impact.

C-PACE financing has evolved from a niche ESG product into a mainstream multibillion-dollar tool used across the commercial real estate cycle. Rafi Golberstein, CEO and founder of PACE Loan Group, noted that average deal sizes have grown from around $2 million in the firm's first year to $17 million in 2025, with nearly 90% of the U.S. population now covered by C-PACE programs. The financing is being deployed in new construction, mid-construction rescues, ramp-up bridge scenarios, and stabilized asset recapitalizations, including a $35 million loan for a St. Louis studio complex and a $22.5 million loan for a Houston luxury hotel. Golberstein highlighted that C-PACE is increasingly used alongside banks and debt funds, with tightened spreads and expanded eligibility driving earlier adoption in project planning.

More than one-third of U.S. house hunters say a clean home with high-end air and water filtration systems is a top-three priority for their next residence, according to a Redfin survey. The 36% share ties with security systems as the most sought-after feature, outranking views at 25%, smart-home technology at 20%, and backup power generation at 19%. Climate-resilient upgrades are a top priority for 14% of respondents, while luxury amenities like home theaters and tennis courts trail at 7% and 4%, respectively. The findings come as wildfire smoke from Canada recently triggered air quality alerts across much of the eastern U.S., underscoring a broader shift toward healthier indoor environments. Millennials and Gen Zers lead the demand, with 37% and 40% respectively ranking clean homes as a top priority.

The European Union is pressing ahead with the enforcement of several environmental measures under the European Green Deal strategy, which aims for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Currently, there are around 3,400 environment-related measures. Key measures that have already taken effect include the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, or CBAM, which requires importers to purchase CBAM Certificates to offset carbon emissions starting from 1 January 2026. Meanwhile, the EU Deforestation Regulation, or EUDR, will be postponed for medium and large businesses to 30 December 2026, and for small businesses to 30 June 2027. In addition, several new regulations are set to come into force in 2026, including the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR, which mandates that packaging must be genuinely recyclable and limits empty space to no more than 40 percent of total volume by 2030; the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, or EmpCo, which prohibits unsubstantiated environmental claims and the use of self-created sustainability labels; the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, or ESPR, which requires products to have a Digital Product Passport and bans the destruction of unsold stock; and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, or CSRD, which requires companies to disclose ESG information in line with ESRS standards, with the scope extending to foreign companies in 2027. Thai entrepreneurs must therefore accelerate their adaptation, from product and packaging design and sustainability data collection to establishing traceability systems across the entire supply chain, in order to maintain competitiveness in a global market that increasingly prioritizes sustainable supply chains.

Sansiri Public Company Limited and Siam Commercial Bank have announced a financial partnership, with Siam Commercial Bank providing green loans to Sansiri for the development of two super-luxury condominium projects in the Chidlom and Sukhumvit 51 locations, with a combined project value of 13.7 billion baht. This collaboration is part of a shared sustainability plan between the two organizations, which includes upgrading internal work processes to digital systems to achieve low-carbon and net-zero corporate goals in the future. Both projects will be designed to meet energy building standards, using low-carbon materials and smart energy-saving innovations, with an independent assessor verifying carbon dioxide emission intensity from usage according to Thailand Taxonomy criteria. Mr. Uthai Uthaisangsuk, President of Sansiri, said this partnership will set a new standard for the Thai real estate industry, while Mr. Sarath Ratanavadi, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Commercial Bank, stated that the bank aims to be a strategic partner in the transition to sustainability and to support customers in reaching net zero by 2050.

A survey by Teikoku Databank found that 50.0 percent of companies experienced business disruptions on days of extreme heat. By industry, construction was the highest at 73.6 percent, followed by agriculture, forestry and fisheries at 66.7 percent, and transportation and warehousing at 54.7 percent. Companies cited reduced work efficiency and heatstroke among employees as key issues.

Colorado's 2025 Wildfire Resiliency Code and California's 2025 WUI Code have taken effect, banning wood shakes in high-fire-hazard zones. CEDUR, a Colorado-based manufacturer, produces a synthetic cedar shake with a standalone noncombustible Class A fire rating that meets both codes without added underlayment. The product withstands temperatures exceeding 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, far above the 375-degree ignition point of natural wood, and carries a Class 4 impact rating and a 50-year limited warranty. Insurers including State Farm, Chubb, and American Family Insurance offer premium discounts for homes with Class A roofing, with CEDUR customers in California and Colorado qualifying immediately upon installation. The company says its shakes are already being specified by architects in Wildland-Urban Interface communities where natural wood is restricted.

Extreme heat is the number one weather concern for Americans, cited by 70% of respondents in a new survey from First Onsite Property Restoration, as a dangerous heat dome expands across the U.S. this week. Wildfire smoke follows at 60%, drought at 59%, and wildfires at 52%, with concern highest in the West for all four threats. Power outages rank as the top property worry at 72%, while only 38% of Americans have an emergency kit prepared and just 54% feel personally ready for a weather emergency. The survey of 1,007 Americans was conducted in March 2026 and reveals a significant gap between high awareness and low preparedness.

The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is evolving into a key forum for shaping sustainable yachting, with a recent conference session titled 'Climate Adaptive Yachting: Innovation for an Uncertain Maritime Future' exploring how yachts must adapt to rising sea temperatures, extreme weather, and stricter regulations. Natalie Quévert, General Secretary of SEA Index, noted that more owners are now requesting environmental certification before construction begins, reflecting the tool's value. SEA Index is collaborating with start-up NEMO Systems, founded by former Challenge competitors, to provide real-time energy consumption data for yachts and commercial vessels. The conference also highlighted the need for a combination of digital technologies, advanced materials, AI, and next-generation propulsion systems to reduce emissions and improve efficiency. The event continues with the 7th Alternative Fuels Conference, organized with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, examining pathways like hydrogen, wind-assisted propulsion, and battery technologies.

Cisco highlights that smart buildings can leverage workplace data to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance employee experience. Buildings accounted for about 28% of global energy consumption and 37% of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2024, according to a 2026 UN Environment Programme report. Cisco worked with the U.S. General Services Administration on a Workplace Innovation Lab in Washington, D.C., where a renovated space was 73% more energy efficient than an unrenovated area and avoided five metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over one year. The company also points to its London office, designed with neuro-inclusivity in mind, as an example of using technology to support a more inclusive environment. Cisco emphasizes that connecting data from systems like HVAC, lighting, and collaboration tools enables better decisions about energy use, real estate, and employee experience.