UK heatwaves force debate on air conditioning, adaptation spending, and carbon goals

The UK's recent heatwaves are pushing landlords and policymakers to reconsider air conditioning, which is currently installed in only 5% of English homes. The Climate Change Committee now recommends fitting cooling in hospitals and care homes within 10 years, a shift from years of favoring passive cooling like shade and ventilation. A key tension is funding: in 2023, global spending on mitigation hit $1.8 trillion, while adaptation got only $65 billion. Critics argue that mitigation attracts investment because products like heat pumps and EVs generate returns, while adaptation spending on shade, ventilation, and cooler homes does not. The UK's Boiler Upgrade Scheme now offers a small subsidy for reversible heat pumps that can cool, but uptake has been minimal. The article highlights the urban heat island effect, where night temperatures in cities can be 7C higher than surrounding areas, and notes that half of heat-related deaths in a past West Midlands heatwave were linked to this effect. The debate is not about choosing mitigation or adaptation, but how to balance spending between them.