###A net zero UK housing stock that is resilient to increased exposure to heat due to climate change
Project ID: 2228bd1154 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Energy and Decarbonisation
UCL Lead department: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources
Lead Supervisor: Mike Davies
Project Summary:
Background The UK housing stock is currently not fit for the future. Greenhouse gas emissions from homes in the UK are not falling quickly enough. In addition, the stock is not well prepared to provide protection against summer overheating - heat-related mortality is currently expected to increase by 250% from current levels by the 2050s, due to climate change.
The government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy (2021) outlined ‘mitigation’ plans to achieve net zero buildings. The government’s Climate Change Risk Assessment (2022) notes that ‘Risks to human health, wellbeing and productivity from increased exposure to heat in homes and other buildings’ is one of eight priority risk areas requiring the most urgent ‘adaptation’ action.
This project will address the urgent need to integrate such mitigation and adaptation actions. Mitigation and adaptation measures should be designed and implemented together, to make the most of potential synergies and avoid negative unintended consequences / trade-offs.
The project is closely aligned with a substantial research programme at IEDE including the CUSSH and HEROIC projects and our EPSRC Platform Grant – ‘Systems Thinking in the Built Environment’ (given only to ‘world-leading research groups’).
Aim Addressing urgent issues central to UK government policy development, this novel and timely project will explore the details of how to move rapidly towards a net zero, resilient future. Specifically, it will use urban climate and built environment modelling to focus on the housing stock and the pressing challenge of reducing carbon emissions whilst addressing risks from increased heat exposure.
Training We will provide high-quality training in the following areas: energy demand, indoor environmental quality and urban climate modelling, systems thinking and transdisciplinary working.