Britain urgently needs a plan to prevent thousands of heatwave deaths each year as the climate continues to warm, a cross-party parliamentary committee has warned.
More than 4,500 people will die from heatwaves in 2022, and this number could rise to 10,000 a year by 2050 if nothing is done, according to a report by lawmakers. Heatwaves are “silent killers” that increase heart rate and blood pressure, with people over 65 and with health problems most at risk, MPs said.
Mental health is also affected, with the risk of suicide doubling as temperatures rise from 22C to 32C, and sleep deprivation due to tropical nights could cost the economy £60bn a year in lost productivity. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) reported that there is.
Temperatures in the UK will exceed 40 degrees for the first time in 2022, making 2023 the world’s hottest year on record. But according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, record-breaking heat waves could occur every other year by 2050. Scientists are clear that all heat waves are becoming more likely and more intense due to the climate crisis.
MPs said there was a “natural” social and economic case for urgent action to protect people from the heat. The report calls for increasing green spaces, installing fans in homes, installing window shutters and white-painted roofs to reflect the sun’s heat. Around five million British households are already suffering from overheating in the summer, making the scale of the measures needed “huge”, MPs said. But this work could be done in parallel with energy efficiency improvements, they said.
EAC Chairman Philip Dunne said: “Record temperatures caused by climate change pose significant risks to health and wellbeing and we need to act now and quickly to adapt to the UK’s climate. I have to take it.”
“There are simple measures to address the risks of overheating, but none have been deployed at scale,” he said. “Existing government policies fail to grasp the urgency of the challenges at hand.”
The government’s latest climate adaptation plan was described as “very weak” when it was published in July 2023. EAC report “This is largely a compilation of existing policies and initiatives and does not demonstrate sufficient urgency or ambition.”
The report cites evidence that large cities like London can be up to eight degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas, and says they are building natural areas such as parks, trees, ponds and green roofs to cool communities. We recommend a solution using . He also said the government should consider changing building regulations to encourage the use of ceiling fans.
Coating the roofs of buildings with highly reflective white paint has been supported by MPs. Evidence from New York City We found that this significantly lowered the indoor temperature. Experts told MPs that installing external window shutters can reduce the risk of death from heat in homes by around 40%, and that air conditioning has a similar effect.
Lawmakers said the widespread use of energy-hungry air conditioners risks increasing carbon emissions and trapping more heat in the atmosphere, creating a vicious cycle. They called for action to improve the energy efficiency of air conditioners.
Insulating homes should build on existing efforts on insulation and energy efficiency, and create a national retrofit program to be implemented by local authorities and supported with long-term funding, MPs recommended.
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The government introduced a new 2021 Regulations The measure is intended to prevent newly built homes from overheating, but it does not apply to existing buildings or offices that have been converted into apartments, where 80% of people will still live in 2050. Lawmakers also said there was an urgent need for proposals to increase access to low-cost renovation loans for householders.The government has not yet responded Consultation regarding this It was said that it was carried out in 2020.
The Japan Meteorological Agency should try to name heatwaves and indicate humidity levels in weather forecasts to raise public awareness, as they do with storms. Humid heat is especially dangerous for your health because it interferes with your body’s ability to cool down through the evaporation of sweat.
Bob Ward, of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at the London School of Economics, said:
“However, this report shows that the UK’s housing stock is in the worst possible shape, with many homes doing too little to cut out heat in the winter and keep it in in the summer. “We could have made it even clearer that it kills thousands of people every year,” he said.
“The government’s failure to implement a national retrofit program to make homes and offices across the country more resilient to extreme temperatures is a national scandal.”
