‘Heatwaves show Labour must make Britain climate resilient – here’s how’

Much to the distress of some right-wing commentators, last weekend authorities issued a ‘heat health alert’ as temperatures soared. Far from an example of nanny-statism however, these alerts exist because heat regularly kills vulnerable people, including the elderly, very young and those with certain health conditions. As heatwaves become more frequent as a result of climate change, we are going to have to go much further than push notifications.

Last summer offered a glimpse of what the UK’s future might look like. A record number of excess deaths were recorded as temperatures hit 40 degrees. It was talked about as a freak event, but according to the UK’s climate change committee, it won’t be long before such summers are normal and the UK is “nothing like well enough prepared” for this future reality. 

A decade of the Tories neglecting climate adaptation means a new Labour government will have their work cut out for them. This is why the Fabian Society is developing a comprehensive climate resilience plan, with recommendations that will be ready for Labour to implement upon reaching government.

Those at the greatest risk must be at the forefront of any strategy

If we see a heatwave this year on the scale of last summer’s, its effects will be unequal and unfair. It will affect people working in kitchens and on construction sites far more than those in air-conditioned offices. It will affect poorer and more ethnically diverse populations living in cities more than those in leafy suburbs or rural areas. And it will affect people in poor quality housing more than those in well-insulated or air-conditioned new builds. The people who will experience the greatest risks, and those who have the most limited ability to adapt on their own, must be placed at the forefront of any climate adaptation policy.

Climate change will affect the way we live, work and travel. Given our traditionally colder weather, it might be no surprise we have a legal minimum working temperature, but no legal maximum. While trade unions have made good progress raising awareness of what employers and union reps can do, a review of the law is long overdue.

For similar reasons, our buildings are not often designed to withstand extreme heat. The need for better insulation is frequently spoken about as a way of keeping energy use for heating down in winter, but better insulation can also help to keep the heat out of buildings in the summer.

The UK is lagging behind as European nations take action

A wide-scale retrofit programme and more stringent regulations on insulation for new developments would contribute to both adaptation (adapting to the impacts of climate change) and mitigation (preventing climate change through reducing emissions) simultaneously. Currently, the UK lags behind the continent with some of the least energy efficient housing stock in Europe. Countries such Germany and the Netherlands have already implemented insulation standards or large-scale retrofit programmes. 

Having said this, the solution to heatwaves should not be a widespread roll-out of air conditioning, which requires a lot of power and could reduce our ability to achieve our net-zero targets. Labour should instead look to incentivise passive cooling techniques such as painting walls and roofs with reflective paint and adding greenery to the roofs of buildings. 

Climate adaptation must also extend beyond the home. In Paris, city officials have helped residents cope with summer heat by developing a network of free-to-access cool spaces and installing more than a thousand water fountains. Planting of climate-resilient trees can also help cool cities: Barcelona’s ‘master plan for Barcelona’s trees’ aims to grow the tree canopy, which now covers a mere 5% of the city, to cover almost a third by 2037. Such measures also help to improve air quality and the urban environment.

The policy challenge for Labour is huge – but not insurmountable

Extreme heat is not the only challenge the UK will face as a result of climate change. Increased severity and frequency of flooding is a key risk, and drought (both at home and abroad) will threaten our food security and water supply. Luckily, policies such as building blue-green infrastructure and developing sustainable drainage systems can tackle several of these risks simultaneously. 

The challenge for the next Labour government may not be small – but it is surmountable. Labour must not run scared from adaptation policy, fearing it will be painted as ‘climate-doomism’. By developing a comprehensive climate resilience plan, Labour can demonstrate that, whatever the weather, the party is ready to govern.