Climate Change Adaptation Innovation Network

Focus sectors

• Cooling

  Overview

  Useful links

  As the UK’s annual temperature continues to rise the need for space cooling and refrigeration and the cost associated with operating these forms of cooling increases. It is quite rare for UK homes to have air conditioning but with summer temperatures regularly reaching 30C for large parts of the UK, it will become a more common occurrence, putting a strain on the energy networks and increasing the cost of energy for the homeowner. Likewise, businesses with retail space, offices or public buildings like schools and hospitals will see their energy costs increase as the cooling technologies we use today struggle to maintain a comfortable environment for people.

  Another area of cooling that will be impacted by climate change is the use of refrigeration. Many of the different manufacturing processes operating in the UK need refrigeration, not just to store the products they make but also during the manufacturing process itself. Manufacturing industries such as food & drink, ceramics, chemicals, metals, medicines rely on refrigeration technologies that are very expensive to operate. As ambient temperatures rise in the summer these technologies work harder increasing operating costs.

  The UK Government signed up to the Global Cooling Pledge at the end of 2023, which aims to reduce emissions caused by the need for cooling to combat climate change. It aims to raise ambition and international cooperation through collective global targets to reduce cooling related emissions by 68% from today by 2050, significantly increase access to sustainable cooling by 2030, and increase the global average efficiency of new air conditioners by 50%.

  Cooling spaces within buildings

  • Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association (now part of BESA) 
  • FETA (Federation of Environmental Trade Associations) 
  • AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building) 
  • BESA (Building Engineering services) 
  • HPA (Heat Pump Association) 
  • UK Green Building Council 
  • GreenSpec 
  • Henry Royce Institute 
  • CIBSE Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers 
  • Passivhaus Trust 
  • BSRIA 
  • Mission Innovation: “Affordable heating and cooling of buildings” challenge  
  • “Addressing overheating risk in existing UK Homes” authored by Arup on behalf of Committee on Climate Change (2021) 
  • UK Climate Resilience Programme 

   

   Commercial and industrial refrigeration

  • BRA (British Refrigeration Association) 
  • Institute of Refrigeration 
  • Centre for sustainable cooling 
  • AREA (European trade association) 
  • DESNZ funded study – Transport, Industrial and Commercial Refrigeration (2024) 
  • EPSRC funded study – A Network for Heating and Cooling Research to Enable a Net-Zero Carbon Future (2024) 

• Water

  Overview

  Useful links

  Identify the impact of climate change on sectors that rely on resilient water management, and identify the role of innovation and opportunities for regional and national investment.

  Coming soon.

• Biodiversity

  Overview

  Useful links

  Define the role of biodiversity in creating resilient environments for UK businesses to flourish, and identify the role of innovation.

  Coming soon.