Ahead of the curve
We must adapt to climate change or risk deepening social inequalities, writes Eloise Sacares
This summer is on course to be Britain’s hottest on record. The last three months have been dominated by stifling heatwaves of up to 38C. London’s parks are no longer green but straw-yellow as a result of a drought which is likely to cause a food crisis later in the year. Heatwaves and wildfires have already claimed thousands of lives, and we now face a risk of flash floods. There is little doubt that these conditions are caused by human-attributed global climate change, which makes extreme weather events much more likely.
Some right-wing commentators suggest that we should forget about fighting climate change and lean into a ‘Mediterranean summer’. This is a deeply unscientific approach which ignores the ecological collapse that will take place if global temperatures rise by more than 2 degrees. Even ignoring this, such assertions forget that not everyone has the privilege of being able to enjoy the soaring temperatures as if they were sitting on a beach in Santorini, cocktail in hand.
Far from being a great equaliser, this summer has laid bare the inequalities that exist in our society. Office workers have enjoyed air conditioning while bus drivers have been falling ill with heatstroke in cabs exceeding 40C and nurses have collapsed during shifts. Those living in inner-city, poorly adapted housing, who tend to be lower-income and from ethnic minority backgrounds, are most likely to experience the ‘urban heat island’ effect, which has already been linked to multiple excess deaths. Finally, if persistent drought does cause crop failure and rising food prices, those on the lowest incomes will be hardest hit, since essential costs make up a larger proportion of their expenditure.
We must take action now. When I wrote the Fabian research report Whatever the Weather in 2023, climate adaptation was seen as a niche issue mainly of interest to ‘climate doomers’ resisting calls to reduce emissions. The increasingly extreme weather we have experienced in the last three years, however, has demonstrated that adapting to climate change – alongside reducing emissions – is vital to protecting our health, infrastructure, and homes.
First, and perhaps most importantly, we must adapt our housing. Building regulations must be updated to account for future overheating risk, and we must undergo a widespread retrofit programme of social homes. This could be done at the same time as existing government schemes to upgrade energy efficiency in social homes. Furthermore, private landlords should have a duty to prevent overheated homes based on the existing requirements for landlords to prevent cold homes. The duty could be met using passive cooling measures or by combining the installation of rooftop solar with air conditioning.
Second, we must legislate to protect those who are currently forced to keep working in extreme conditions. A maximum working temperature law of 30C, which has already been introduced in Spain and Germany, would help protect workers from further health impacts. This would be a welcome addition to the government’s good progress on employment rights.
Finally, we must provide temporary accommodation for rough sleepers in extreme weather events. While most of us can get some reprieve from the heat, this is not the case for those exposed to the elements at all times. This can be achieved by requiring councils to activate the severe weather emergency protocol – which requires them to provide temporary accommodation to rough sleepers – for the duration of a severe weather alert, and for a minimum of three days and nights.
While adaptation is essential to reducing the inequalities caused by climate change, it cannot exist in a vacuum. This heatwave has unfolded at the same time as the Burnham government has failed to commit to key policies to work towards net zero. The government’s refusal to rule out the provision of new oil and gas licences and its decision to continue to consult on the weakening of the zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate – the single biggest carbon reduction policy across the economy – suggest that policymakers have not taken seriously the extreme weather we are experiencing. In the words of a Greenpeace campaigner, ‘‘You can’t play firefighter one day and arsonist the next”. It is critical that we both adapt to and mitigate further climate change to ensure the most vulnerable do not continue to experience the worst impacts of extreme weather.
