The Liberal Democrats have announced plans to require all new UK homes to be built with air conditioning to address the effects of the climate crisis. The party argues that British housing is dangerously unprepared for rising temperatures and that passive cooling measures, such as planting more trees in residential areas, are necessary but insufficient.
Mandatory cooling in public buildings
The Lib Dems also want air conditioning to be mandatory in essential public buildings, including schools and healthcare facilities. The proposal comes as the UK Health Protection Agency issued a yellow alert for high temperatures from Tuesday morning until Friday morning across southern, central, and eastern England, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber. Temperatures in London are forecast to reach 32C (90F) on Wednesday.
Dry summer exacerbates risks
Much of the summer has been exceptionally dry. In July so far, England has received only 5% of its average rainfall, dropping to 1% in the south, leading to droughts and a severe risk of wildfires. The Lib Dems' "climate ready" programme would legally require new homes to have air conditioning or an alternative cooling system, particularly for older people and those in poor health.
Rising AC adoption
The number of UK homes with air conditioning has doubled in the past three years amid rising temperatures, according to industry estimates. However, this still represents only about 4 million of the estimated 30 million-plus homes in the country. Polling commissioned by the Lib Dems found that 28% of people had bought a fan or air conditioning unit during recent heatwaves, and 26% said the conditions left them feeling unwell or faint.
Political response
Tim Farron, the party's environment spokesperson, said: "This latest set of relentless heatwaves has taught us that Britain is woefully unprepared for extreme heat, and families across Britain are paying for the cost of inaction. With another heatwave on the horizon, the government must step in with a new plan that takes the onus off already-struggling Brits and commits developers to build homes fit for the future – insulated properly and equipped with air conditioning."
Gideon Amos, the party's housing spokesperson, added: "Air conditioning is becoming essential in UK homes, which are now among the smallest and hottest in Europe after previous Conservative governments swept away minimum space standards. Andy Burnham must see sense and enable the country to adapt fast – looking at how we build well for the future so that we give our society the security needed during these devastating heatwaves."
Deadly heatwaves
An analysis led by Imperial College London found that the heatwaves of May and June, which included three consecutive days of red warnings for extreme heat, killed about 2,700 people, with a peak fatality rate of about 440 people per day. More than 40% of those deaths would not have occurred without the 1.4C of human-caused global heating to date, according to the study.
