UK Cooling Policy in a Warming World

The UK is warming faster than the global average and is increasingly exposed to dangerous heat. More frequent and intense heatwaves are already causing thousands of excess deaths each year, while overheating affects a growing proportion of homes, workplaces and public buildings.

As the Climate Change Committee’s Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk makes clear, improving cooling is now essential for climate resilience and adaptation.

However, the UK lacks a coherent national approach to cooling. Existing policies addressing overheating, building design, public health and climate adaptation remain fragmented, while cooling has received limited attention within successive National Adaptation Programmes. Without intervention, rising temperatures are likely to drive a rapid expansion of air conditioning, increasing electricity demand, greenhouse gas emissions and social inequalities.

The UK has committed to developing a National Cooling Action Plan under the Global Cooling Pledge and has a unique opportunity to align adaptation, net-zero and public health objectives. Rather than allowing air conditioning to become the default response to rising temperatures, the Government should develop a comprehensive and strategic National Cooling Action Plan which prioritises passive cooling, accelerates the transition away from fluorinated gases, supports workforce development and ensures equitable access to cooling.

Without a coordinated strategy, the UK risks replacing one climate challenge with another. With a strategy, it can build a cooler, healthier and more resilient future while remaining on track to meet its climate commitments.