The United Kingdom Built for a Climate That No Longer Exists/Urgent Change Needed

2026-05-20 08:55:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United Kingdom Built for a Climate That No Longer Exists/Urgent Change

British homes will need air conditioning to survive predicted levels of global warming, the government's climate advisers warned in a report, as measures such as drawing curtains, opening windows and growing trees for shade are unlikely to be enough.

Air conditioning should be installed in all care homes and hospitals within the next 10 years, and in all schools within 25 years, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which published a landmark report on Wednesday on adapting to the impacts of global warming.

The government should also set a maximum temperature for work, both indoors and outdoors, the advisers said. The UK should prepare for 2 degrees Celsius of global warming by 2050, as efforts to limit temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels under the Paris agreement look likely to fail.

Heatwaves are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in all parts of the UK by 2050. Periods of hot weather will be longer, which could lead to an extra 10,000 heat-related deaths a year. Around nine in 10 homes in the UK are likely to overheat.

Julia King, chair of the CCC's adaptation subcommittee, said that of the many climate threats outlined in the report, extreme heat poses the most immediate risk to life. "Extreme heat is certainly the deadliest of the climate impacts in the UK, so we need to see cooling implemented on a large scale," she said.

"Sometimes that means shading, but sometimes it means air conditioning. And yet, we must take seriously the protection of our most vulnerable people in hospitals, in care homes and in schools."

In 2022, when temperatures rose above 40 degrees Celsius, this resulted in about 3,000 deaths, with periods of extreme heat likely to become the “new normal.” Instead of installing cooling everywhere, people could opt to have a cold room to use during heat waves, the report said.

However, air conditioning is an energy-intensive system, accounting for about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. More efficient modern systems can use heat pumps, which are now subsidized by the government to replace gas boilers, but these are rarely installed at present.

Sam Alvis, head of energy security at think tank IPPR, called for more rooftop solar panels, along with air conditioning. “We’re going to have to get used to the fact that we’re a hot country, which is a big mindset change for the UK,” he said. “Air conditioning is actually a great match for solar from an energy system perspective because it matches supply and demand, and your air conditioning is only needed above certain temperatures.”