Cooling can no longer be treated as an afterthought in the UK

20 May 2026

Air conditioning will become increasingly essential in parts of England as rising summer temperatures place growing strain on health services and vulnerable people.

Hospitals, care homes, schools, workplaces and social care facilities will increasingly need cooling systems to cope with more frequent and intense heatwaves, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which says many buildings are not designed to withstand prolonged extreme heat.

The comments come as the Climate Change Committee publishes A Well-Adapted UK: The Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk, a major report examining how the country should prepare for worsening heatwaves, flooding and drought linked to climate change.

The committee says overheating in hospitals and care settings poses particular risks to elderly and vulnerable people, while rising indoor temperatures in schools and workplaces could increasingly affect safety, productivity and learning.

The report describes more frequent heatwaves as the “single greatest climate threat to public health” and has “called for maximum temperature regulations at work, cooling in hospitals and care homes by 2035 and in schools by 2050”.

Baroness Brown, speaking at the launch of the report, said cooling systems would need to become more widespread and rolled out “at scale”.

While the report stresses that passive measures like shading, ventilation and better building design will still be important, it says they will not be enough on their own in many existing buildings. In some parts of England, it suggests active cooling — including air conditioning — will be needed to keep indoor temperatures safe.

The committee also calls for stronger standards to protect workers during periods of high heat and says adaptation planning should prioritise public buildings and vulnerable households.

Baroness Brown, chair of the Adaptation Committee: 

“Our lives, our landscapes and our homes are under increasing pressure from the changing climate. But we are not powerless. We can protect patients and residents in overheated hospitals and care homes, children in nurseries and schools, and communities facing repeated flooding.”

Heat Pump Association UK chief executive Charlotte Lee comments:

“This report is a clear warning that the UK can no longer treat cooling as an afterthought. As we face more frequent and dangerous heatwaves, we must prepare our buildings – including homes, schools, offices and care settings for a future of more extreme temperatures. Heat pumps offer a practical long-term solution with many systems providing both efficient heating in winter and cooling in summer from the same technology. It is a timely reminder of the need to futureproof our buildings and energy systems now.”