Business Continuity and Climate Change: Firms’ Risk Perceptions and Adaptive Measures

Abstract

Climate change-related hazards are increasingly affecting the physical assets, production processes, and supply chains of industrial enterprises. This study aims to evaluate the impacts of climate change-related hazards on business continuity in firms operating within OIZs as part of the RESMAR Project. As part of the research, a survey was conducted among firms operating in nine OIZs located in the Marmara Region, and the data obtained were analysed. The findings indicate that there are no statistically significant sectoral differences in firms' levels of exposure to climate change-related hazards. Instead, firms' geographical location, the infrastructure capacity of the OIZs in which they operate, and their dependence on supply chains emerged as the primary determinants of climate-related impacts. Firms operating in labour-intensive industries, such as the textile sector, and those in high-technology industries, such as the defence sector, were found to exhibit greater sensitivity to climate change. These findings highlight the need for climate change adaptation strategies in industrial enterprises to extend beyond facility-level risk management and incorporate measures aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience and enhancing the climate resilience of OIZ infrastructure.