The need to adapt to climate change impacts, whilst simultaneously limiting greenhouse gas emissions, requires that the government's efforts are joined by public action. In England and Wales, housing contributes significantly to the emissions and many properties are at risk of flooding. This paper investigates the preparedness of homeowners in England and Wales to make changes to their homes in response to the predicted effects of climate change. A telephone survey of 961 homeowners investigated their interest in purchasing mitigation and adaptation improvements against their concern about climate change, awareness of flood risk and attribution of responsibility for action. Whilst the majority of homes had some energy-saving improvements, few were found to have property-level flood protection. The high levels of awareness about climate change and flooding were coupled with the perception of risks as low. Whilst some respondents accepted personal responsibility for action, most believed that the authorities were responsible for flood protection, and would not pay the costs required to make their home more energy-efficient and better prepared for the eventuality of floods. The results suggest that there is scope for further improvement of energy-saving measures, and that the levels of adoption of flood-protection measures are very low. Multi-faceted strategies, including more effective communication of risks and responsibilities, incentives, and material support for the poorest, will need to be developed to overcome the current reluctance by homeowners to invest in flood-protection measures and further energy conservation solutions in the future.

Purpose – The inevitability of climate change and its consequences brings on the need to find new ways of adapting to extreme events, such as floods. One immediate measure would be to make physical improvements to houses to either prevent their inundation or minimise the damage when flood waters enter premises. Currently, the level of implementation of these measures is low. This paper aims to assess the willingness of house owners living in flood risk zones to carry out works that make their homes better protected against flooding. Design/methodology/approach – Householders (101) in low- and medium-income areas of Salford, north west of England were interviewed on their perceptions of climate change consequences, willingness to make physical improvements to their properties and preparedness to pay for them.\ud Findings – The homeowners are concerned about the climate change effects on their homes, feel responsible for protection of their properties against flooding and express interest in several flood protection measures. The median value respondents are willing to pay is under £100. \ud Research limitations/implications – This study is carried out on a small sample of respondents and national-scale survey is recommended.\ud Practical implications – There is a need for action to increase the motivation to invest in property-level flood measures among house owners, which should include awareness raising actions, subsidies and incentives promoting sustainable behaviour.\ud Originality/value – The paper investigates the new subject of property-level flood protection and provides a comprehensive analysis of homeowners’ perceptions of climate change risks and willingness to act.\ud Keywords United Kingdom, Residential property, Floods, Individual perception\ud Paper type Research pape

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The concept of sustainability, and sustainable development, is based on the premiss that human society is able to find a way to fulfil its aspirations without undermining the environmental context that supports all life on the planet, or by exploiting people. The evidence currently available shows that it is very difficult to draw cause-and-effect conclusions between companies that have effective sustainability strategies, and the health of their workforce. There are some other factors which make it difficult to conclude that there has been an influence on the health of their workforce solely because of the motivational influence of environmental and social performance. Finally, much more work needs to be done before a firm line can be drawn between health and the sustainable workplace. If this can be achieved, then it will be one more piece of evidence that compels all organizations to invest in a sustainable future.