Climate Resilience and Equity

Wide angle sort of a small urban garden with paving and flower beds with elevated housing on all sides. The sun is shing against blue sky.
Finding shade in Parkview, South Thamesmead. Picture courtesy of Peabody/Paul Upward

UK cities are not ready for extreme temperatures that create overheating and unaffordable energy bills, hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Our research programme looked at the challenge of achieving equitable climate resilience.

London’s climate is changing. In July 2022, temperatures hit 40°C in the capital with nearly 400 deaths attributed to heat. At the same time, rising energy bills are causing fuel poverty and nearly a third of Londoners experience mould in their property.

How London manages climate-related crises such as heatwaves or flooding will have an impact on economic, environmental and social stability.

However, these impacts will not fall equally across the city. CDP found that low-income households and marginalised communities are consistently the most vulnerable to climate-related hazards.

Future of London’s major Knowledge programme looked at successful approaches to achieving climate resilience and equity in cities across the UK and internationally. The programme focused particularly on heating and cooling our homes and neighbourhoods.

This action research explored topics such as representation, retrofitting and heat networks, and the viability and affordability of adaptation measures. We’ll also draw lessons from and links to other sectors.

Definition of climate resilience

“Adaptation leads to a reduction in harm or risk of harm or realisation of benefits associated with climate change. Resilience is the ability of a system to recover from the effect of an extreme load that may have caused harm.”

London Environment Strategy, Mayor of London

At our Climate Resilience and Equity conference, highlighted established best practice as well as innovations and systems thinking approaches.

Wide angle sort of a small urban garden with paving and flower beds with elevated housing on all sides. The sun is shing against blue sky.
Hampshire Passivhaus, Ruth Butler Architects © Peter Langdown. From “Shading for Housing – Design Guide for a changing climate” (Pollard Thomas Edwards)

The challenge: climate resilience and equity

  • How climate impacts and extreme weather cause increased inequalities in communities
  • How to address limited knowledge and understanding of the effects of extreme weather events on homes and neighbourhoods and the potential solutions
  • How to engage residents
  • How clever new ways of working across departments, organisations and disciplines can deliver cost efficiencies and impact
  • How to pay for it
  • How to measure impact
  • How to navigate a changing policy and regulatory environment

Programme of events

We  engaged with our multidisciplinary network and stakeholders through a series of events and activities. We will hear diverse voices and create a practical and inspiring output that can help the industry to take positive steps to tackle climate resilience and inequality.

The programme provided space for those working and living with climate impacts to explore collaborative solutions.

Thanks to our programme sponsors

Arup , Countryside Partnerships, Mount Anvil, Pollard Thomas Edwards, Potter Raper and Trowers & Hamlins

EVENTS 

Conference: Climate Change and Equity
Tuesday 8 October 2024, London WC2 Read the session write-ups

London Climate Action Week – project launch
Read the write-up

Read our Achieving Net Zero report (2021)
Topics include driving behaviour change and empowering communities. Download the PDF here