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Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee

Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Status: Closed Opened: 3 Jul 2023 Closed: 22 May 2024 19 recommendations 3 conclusions 1 report

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 …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sustainable cooling HC 279 31 Jan 2024 22 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
3 Recommendation Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sust… Rejected

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

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 …

Government response. The government acknowledges the benefits of green infrastructure but states that primary responsibility for expanding urban green space lies with local authorities and declines to mandate the Green Infrastructure Framework. It references existing funds but rejects central intervention or mandating …
7 Recommendation Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sust… Rejected

Mandate post-occupancy evaluation for all measures taken under Building Regulations Part O.

We recommend that measures taken under Part O should be subject to post-occupancy evaluation within the first year of their installation.

Government response. The government rejected the recommendation for post-occupancy evaluation under Part O, stating there are no current plans for its inclusion. However, they are seeking feedback through a call for evidence on potential omissions or issues, which may inform future updates.
14 Recommendation Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sust… Rejected

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

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. …

Government response. The government rejected the recommendation to launch a new Minister-led public information campaign, arguing that general campaigns may be less effective. Instead, they highlighted ongoing significant progress in publishing guidance and coordinating existing messaging with partners, focusing on vulnerable groups …
21 Recommendation Fifth Report - Heat resilience and sust… Rejected

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

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. (Paragraph 100) A heat resilience strategy

Government response. The government rejected the recommendation to appoint a lead Minister for Heat Resilience, stating that existing Lead Government Department structures and Defra's Minister for Nature already provide the necessary coordination and oversight for climate adaptation.

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
25 Oct 2023 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 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 ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
22 May 2024 To cttee Letter from the EAC Chair to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing a…