While ESG considerations remain important, industrial & logistics occupiers are now placing greater emphasis on building resilience, particularly as part of strengthening their wider supply chains. The warehouses and logistics facilities they occupy play a crucial role in ensuring operational continuity and business stability.

As climate risks such as extreme weather events increase in frequency and severity, occupiers are seeking sites that offer multimodal transport connections, strong climate resilience, and adaptability. At the same time, advances in technology have transformed the requirements of modern warehouse space. Occupiers now prioritise enhanced digital connectivity, robust cybersecurity, high floor load capacities, smooth floor tolerances for robotic movement, and reliable power availability.

So, how can building owners structure their upgrades to meet these evolving expectations?

Moving beyond EPCs

An EPC gives an indication of a buildings energy efficiency, however they do not tell the whole story. While EPC regulations continue to drive some landlord-led improvements, in an increasingly informed occupier market, they do not necessarily reflect true operational efficiency or the long-term resilience of a building.

Landlords must, therefore, look beyond compliance to deliver upgrades that address both occupier priorities and ESG objectives. This means investing in measures that improve performance, reduce operational costs, and align with broader sustainability and resilience targets.

Building climate resilience

Future-ready warehouses should integrate fundamental climate resilience measures such as flood defences, wind and storm resistance, and robust drainage systems. Many of these adaptations can also deliver ESG co-benefits.

For example, high-performance buildings reduce heat stress and cooling demand, while on-site renewable energy generation, such as solar PV, supports both carbon reduction and operational continuity. Flexible, modular layouts enable occupiers to reconfigure space as business needs to evolve, while permeable surfaces and green infrastructure reduce surface water stress and enhance biodiversity.

These design strategies not only improve resilience but also help assets achieve stronger ratings under frameworks such as BREEAM, while contributing to improved EPC performance.

Power provision is key

As occupiers adopt more automation and robotics, reliable and sufficient power provision has become a critical factor in site selection. However, the exact power requirements of emerging technologies are often uncertain.

To mitigate this, landlords, developers and occupiers should prioritise early-stage due diligence on energy supply, ensuring the site can accommodate future expansion.

Where supply is constrained, real-time energy monitoring can help optimise efficiency, manage demand, and reduce operational costs.

The need for good data

Accurate and transparent energy and operational data is central to achieving efficiency and resilience. Clear data enables systems to be properly sized, reducing upgrade costs and ensuring reliable performance.

Modern occupiers increasingly rely on real-time data making robust, high-speed digital connectivity an essential feature. Investors now view fibre connectivity and resilient IT infrastructure as key.

Automation and smart infrastructure

Automation is rapidly transforming the sector. Properties that are automation-ready, with flexible layouts, high ceilings, strong floor tolerances, sensor networks, and smart control systems, will be more attractive to forward-thinking occupiers.

Beyond productivity gains, automation can also reduce energy use, minimise waste, and improve health and safety outcomes, aligning closely with ESG and social governance priorities.

As the market evolves, resilience is becoming the defining measure of value. Occupiers are seeking buildings that not only meet sustainability targets but also support business continuity, technological innovation, and operational flexibility.

For landlords and investors, this means going beyond regulatory compliance to create assets that are future-proof, adaptive, and data-smart, ensuring that refurbished and standing assets remain competitive, sustainable, and resilient for the long term.

Further information

Contact Tom Bird or Charlotte Evans