Saint-Gobain Barometer Highlights Critical Role of Banks and Insurers in Advancing Resilient Construction Practices

Saint-Gobain Barometer Highlights Critical Role of Banks and Insurers in Advancing Resilient Construction Practices

(IN BRIEF) Saint-Gobain’s 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer highlights the increasing importance of resilience and climate adaptation in the construction sector, particularly as extreme weather events become more frequent. While banks and insurers recognize the significance of these factors, their incorporation into financial decision-making remains limited due to challenges in demonstrating clear returns on investment. The report emphasizes that resilience-related benefits—such as reduced risk and long-term asset protection—are often difficult to quantify compared to carbon reduction metrics. To accelerate adoption, the Barometer calls for making these benefits more tangible and economically measurable. It also identifies financial institutions as key players in driving large-scale transformation by integrating resilience into investment strategies and developing new financial tools. Overall, the report positions resilience as both a necessity and an opportunity for enhancing competitiveness and long-term value in the construction sector.

(PRESS RELEASE) COURBEVOIE, 21-Apr-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Saint-Gobain, through its Sustainable Construction Observatory, has released the 2026 edition of its Sustainable Construction Barometer, highlighting the growing importance of resilience and climate adaptation in the built environment. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the report underscores that sustainable construction is no longer limited to environmental considerations but is increasingly tied to risk management, economic stability, and the long-term value of assets.

The Barometer reveals that while awareness among financial institutions—particularly banks and insurers—has increased, the integration of resilience and adaptation into investment and insurance decision-making remains limited. This year’s report introduces, for the first time, a qualitative international study focusing specifically on financial stakeholders, including commercial and development banks as well as insurers. The findings complement the Barometer’s broader quantitative research, which gathers insights from thousands of stakeholders and citizens across 30 countries.

The results indicate that resilience and climate adaptation are gaining traction, reflected in a noticeable increase in recognition among both professionals and the public. These concepts relate to the ability of buildings and infrastructure to withstand environmental shocks, maintain functionality, and retain value over time. However, despite growing acknowledgment, these factors have yet to become central criteria in financial models or to be fully embedded in credit and investment frameworks.

A key barrier identified in the report is the difficulty in clearly demonstrating the return on investment for resilience-focused projects. Unlike carbon reduction initiatives, which benefit from standardized measurement tools, resilience investments often deliver long-term and indirect benefits, such as reduced future losses, improved business continuity, and asset preservation. These outcomes are harder to quantify and integrate into traditional financial assessments, especially when weighed against immediate and sometimes substantial upfront costs.

To accelerate progress, the Barometer calls for a shift in perspective—positioning resilience not only as a necessity but as a driver of economic value and competitiveness. Nearly half of surveyed stakeholders believe that sustainable construction can generate greater value than conventional approaches, although this perception remains uneven, particularly in regions such as Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The report identifies several key priorities to strengthen confidence and adoption across the sector. These include making the benefits of resilience more tangible, ensuring measurable performance outcomes for end users, and demonstrating the economic viability of sustainable solutions. Addressing these areas is seen as essential to maintaining momentum and encouraging broader participation.

Financial institutions are positioned as critical enablers in this transition. By embedding resilience considerations more consistently into their decision-making processes, banks and insurers can help scale up sustainable construction practices and drive systemic change. Achieving this will require advancements in several areas, including the development of clearer standards and benchmarks, improved methods for translating physical climate risks into financial metrics, the creation of tailored financial instruments, and the integration of resilience criteria into project evaluations and investment portfolios.

The full findings of the 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer are available through Saint-Gobain’s official channels.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services adapted to the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets. Its integrated and innovative solutions provide sustainability, performance and well-being for its customers. The Group is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.5 billion in sales in 2025
162,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit www.saint-gobain.com and follow us on X @saintgobain   

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SOURCE: Saint-Gobain