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Select committee: Environmental Audit Committee

Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Closed Opened 3 Jul 2023 Closed 22 May 2024 19 recommendations 3 conclusions

Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking a short inquiry into Heat resilience and sustainable cooling . It will look at the relationship between heat and health; examine the adequacy of current Government policies in relation to current and future need for cooling; and consider what measures could be taken to increase adaptation and resilience to rising temperatures. It is seeking written evidence to inform its inquiry and will hold an oral evidence session in order to form an initial view of the issues. Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 3 July 2023.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling on 31 January 2024.

The government's response

Published 30 April 2024. The deadline was 31 March 2024.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the report and sets out its position recommendation by recommendation, declining to mandate use of the Green Infrastructure Framework, to name heatwaves or to run a public information campaign targeting the general public, while pointing to existing measures and consultations.

  • On green space, the government "has not chosen to mandate" the Green Infrastructure Framework "at this time", saying it is important to allow local authorities "the space to develop their own policies".
  • On heatwave naming, the government says there is "insufficient evidence that naming of heatwaves is effective and there are no plans to introduce heatwave naming"; the Met Office "will keep this under review as research in this area develops".
  • On the public information campaign, it says "it is not clear that a public information campaign targeting the general public would be effective" relative to a differentiated approach for those most at risk.
  • On a national cooling action plan, it will develop a "cooling outlook document" and is "working to publish" it before the 2026 target date, anticipating publication "in the early part of the next parliament".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Recommendations and conclusions

All 22 recommendations and conclusions

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 2 oral evidence sessionsLatest 25 October 2023
  • 13 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Recommendations and conclusions 22 shown

1: Extreme heat has serious, widespread impacts on UK health, wellbeing, and economic productivity.

Conclusion · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Concluded (the committee's words)
We have received compelling evidence that heat is having serious and widespread impacts on health, wellbeing and economic productivity. This is already costing the UK thousands of lives and billions of pounds annually, a situation which is set to get worse without concerted action. The social and economic case for accelerating heat adaptation measures in the UK is clear-cut.

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3: Nature-based solutions are crucial for cooling, but the green infrastructure framework lacks wide implementation.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
Nature-based solutions to climate change, such as parks, trees, water bodies and green infrastructure, have significant cooling effects as well as multiple co-benefits (for example, for health, wellbeing, air quality, flood resilience and biodiversity). Increasing the amount of green space is one of the most important tools in tackling the impacts of heat, especially in urban areas. Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework, incorporating the Urban Greening Factor, is therefore a significant and welcome step forward in setting out how green infrastructure can be best designed and implemented; however, the framework only applies to new developments, and evidence suggests that it is not yet being put into practice at scale by local authorities.

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4: Expand urban green space by requiring local authorities to protect green spaces and use framework.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Government take action to expand urban green space, particularly in disadvantaged areas. At a minimum these actions ought to include: (i) introducing a statutory requirement on local authorities to protect green space; (ii) mandating local authorities in urban areas to use the Green Infrastructure Framework; and (iii) introducing measures to incentivise the installation of green roofs as new build or retrofit on appropriate residential or business premises.

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6: Clarify Government intention to expand Building Regulations Part O to cover property refurbishments.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We support the extension of Part O of the Building Regulations not only to cover material changes of use to residential, but also for refurbishments of existing properties. We recommend that the Government clarify whether it is intended that Part O of the Building Regulations be expanded to refurbishments. If that is indeed the case, we recommend that Ministers, in their response to this report, set out when, and by what mechanism, this is to be achieved. If it is not the case, we recommend that Ministers explain how the UK is to achieve Commitment M5 of the Global Cooling Pledge.

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8: Boiler Upgrade Scheme extension with additional funding represents welcome progress for retrofitting.

Conclusion · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Concluded (the committee's words)
We were pleased to note that the recent extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme announced by the Prime Minister in September 2023 has now been backed by additional funding for grants. The funded extension of the scheme represents a welcome move towards the long-term programme of retrofitting the existing housing stock which we have advocated in previous reports.

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9: Significant opportunities exist to create a comprehensive housing retrofit programme addressing overheating risks.

Conclusion · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Concluded (the committee's words)
We consider that there are further opportunities to combine existing initiatives on insulation and energy efficiency into a more ambitious and comprehensive housing retrofit programme which addresses the risks of overheating in existing properties. Such an approach, if well designed and delivered, can minimise both cost and disruption while ensuring homes are energy efficient and remain comfortable to live in.

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10: Establish a comprehensive national retrofit programme to adapt UK housing stock for net zero and comfort.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We therefore recommend that the Government establish a comprehensive national retrofit programme to adapt the UK’s housing stock for both net zero and thermal comfort. The programme should include the following elements to maximise its impact and minimise costs: • Local delivery via local authorities, underpinned by adequate long-term funding; • Prioritisation of vulnerable households; • A fabric-first approach focusing on insulation and ventilation; • Adoption of a cooling hierarchy prioritising passive measures, and then fans, above active cooling mechanisms; • Consideration of the benefits and drawbacks of installing reversible heat pumps, bearing in mind such factors as: (i) whether or not active cooling is likely to be required following installation of passive measures and (if appropriate) fans; (ii) the vulnerability of the building occupant(s); and (iii) progress on decarbonising the national grid at the time of installation

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11: Respond to consultation and rapidly introduce proposals for low-cost home energy improvement finance.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We urge the Government to respond as soon as possible to its consultation on improving home energy performance through lenders which closed in February 2021. Ministers must rapidly bring forward proposals to encourage access to low-cost finance for householders to invest in home improvements which can increase energy efficiency and heat resilience.

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13: Set out targets for growth in competent retrofit installer supply chain or establish ambitious new ones.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We urge the Government to set out, in its response to this report, the targets (if any) which Ministers have set for growth in the supply chain of competent retrofit installers, and the progress made against these targets to date. If no targets have yet been set, we recommend that Ministers seek to set ambitious targets for supply chain growth.

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14: Launch a Minister-led public information campaign on heatwave threats and human health impacts.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
While sources of accurate, reliable and helpful guidance on dealing with extreme heat do exist, this information does not appear always to be reaching everyone who needs it, leading to avoidable health harms. We raised this issue in our 2018 Heatwaves report but little progress appears to have been made. We reiterate the recommendation from our predecessor committee’s 2018 Heatwaves report that the Government should launch a Minister-led public information campaign on the developing threat of heatwaves and their significant impact on human health and activities. This could be based on the information on the UKHSA’s Beat the Heat webpage. It should have a particular focus on vulnerable groups.

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15: Trial the naming of heatwaves for 2024 to enhance public recognition of severe events.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
The naming of heatwaves could assist in helping the public to recognise such extreme weather events as a threat to health and wellbeing in the same way as named storms. We recommend that the Met Office trial the naming of heatwaves for 2024 with a view to making this permanent if the trial is deemed successful.

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16: Evaluate cooling centre effectiveness and publish advice for authorities supporting vulnerable populations during extreme heat.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
While there is potential for cooling centres to be an important part of future resilience measures for those most vulnerable to heat impacts, evidence of their effectiveness is not clear cut at present. We recommend that UKHSA evaluate the potential use of cooling centre initiatives as a policy response to excessive heat, with a view to developing and publishing advice to central government and local authorities on a suite of practical initiatives which can be taken to support populations which are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat.

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18: Require Government to set out progress on cooling equipment Minimum Energy Performance Standards and 2030 Global Cooling Pledge plans.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that in its response to this report the Government set out what progress it has made on establishing Minimum Energy Performance Standards in relation to cooling equipment since COP26; what the future trajectory for establishing such standards is; and how the Government plans to meet the 2030 deadline specified in the Global Cooling Pledge.

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19: Evaluate merits of introducing a cooling equipment takeback scheme to minimise F-gas leakage.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Government evaluate the merits of introducing a takeback scheme in England to improve disposal practices regarding cooling equipment, thereby helping to minimise F-gas leakage, with a view to introducing a pilot takeback scheme in England and promoting its merits to the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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20: Require Government to publish details on Climate Resilience Board membership, meetings, and 2024 schedule.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
Effective joint working is not just desirable but essential if the impacts of heat are to be tackled in a coordinated, holistic and cost-effective way. This does not seem to be happening to a sufficient degree at present in the UK. The establishment of a Climate Resilience Board, under the auspices of the Cabinet Office and DEFRA, is potentially an important development as long as it includes representation from all relevant Government departments, agencies and other organisations, and meets sufficiently frequently. The Government should set out, in its response to this report, details of the membership of the Climate Resilience Board; how often it has met since being established; and its expected meeting schedule in 2024.

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21: Appoint a lead Minister for Heat Resilience to drive coordinated cross-government action effectively.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Government appoint a lead Minister for Heat Resilience to act as a focal point and drive forward coordinated action across government departments, local government, community sector stakeholders and the private sector in this area.

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22: Require Government to publish a clear timetable for the UK national cooling action plan.

Recommendation · Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Recommended (the committee's words)
We commend the UK Government on being among the first signatories of the Global Cooling Pledge, which represents a significant step forward in terms of heat resilience and sustainable cooling, and is a welcome demonstration of international leadership in this area. In particular we note the commitment under the GCP to produce a national cooling action plan. We hope our inquiry and the findings set out in this report assist in shaping what this looks like and we remain keen to continue to work constructively with all relevant Departments on this topic. In response to this report, we expect the Government to set out a clear and achievable timetable for the introduction of a UK national cooling action plan as required by the Global Cooling Pledge.

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Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
25 Oct 2023
panel one; panel two
Adrian Dobson · Royal Institute of British Architects, Councillor Linda Taylor · Local Government Association, Eleni Myrivili · UN Habitat, Francis Heil · AtkinsRéalis, Omar Abdelaziz · The American University in Cairo, Professor Elizabeth Robinson · Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics 		View ↗
18 Sep 2023
panel one; panel two
David Broom · Kensa Contracting, Dr Chiara Delmastro · International Energy Agency (IEA), Dr Eric Laurentius Peterson · University of Leeds, Dr Laurence Wainwright · The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, Martin Passingham · Daikin UK, Professor Jason Lowe OBE · Met Office Hadley Centre, Professor Lea Berrang Ford · UK Health Security Agency 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

13 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Adrian Dobson · Executive Director, Professional Knowledge and Standards Royal Institute of British Architects 1
Councillor Linda Taylor · Vice Chair, Local Infrastructure and Net Zero Board Local Government Association 1
David Broom · Managing Director Kensa Contracting 1
Dr Chiara Delmastro · Energy Analyst Buildings International Energy Agency (IEA) 1
Dr Eric Laurentius Peterson · Visiting Research Fellow University of Leeds 1
Dr Laurence Wainwright · Departmental Lecturer The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford 1
Eleni Myrivili · Global Chief Heat Officer UN Habitat 1
Francis Heil · Chartered Engineer and Principal Consultant AtkinsRéalis 1
Martin Passingham · Head of Product and Training Daikin UK 1
Omar Abdelaziz · Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering The American University in Cairo 1
Professor Elizabeth Robinson · Director Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics 1
Professor Jason Lowe OBE · Head of Climate Services Met Office Hadley Centre 1
Professor Lea Berrang Ford · Deputy Director and Head, Centre for Climate and Health Security UK Health Security Agency 1

Correspondence

1 letter

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PublishedDirectionLetter
22 May 2024 To committee Letter from the EAC Chair to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, relating to the 'Heat resilience and sustainable cooling' inquiry, dated 21 May 2024