As the country struggles to cool off in increasingly hot summers, new research has identified communities that will be most affected and / or least able to cope.
Birmingham has, by far, the majority of communities in urgent need of help to cope with the warmer climate, according to analysis by the University of Manchester and Friends of the Earth (FoE) activists.
The city is followed by the London boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney, with Nottingham also on the list.
Image: Local authorities in England with the most vulnerable neighborhoods
The number of people exposed to extreme heat “is growing very rapidly as the planet warms,” showing the “real human consequence” of not reducing emissions, said Mike Childs, head of science, politics and research from FoE, to Sky News.
The investigation sends “a very strong signal to politicians that we need to double the reduction in our carbon emissions, unlike some of the candidates to be our next prime minister … suggesting that perhaps we could step back in action climate change, ”he said. dit.
Climate change has already warmed Britain by 0.9ºC. About 800 more people die due to the heat each year.
The researchers identified neighborhoods prone to hot weather and then assessed more than 40 factors that would make these communities vulnerable. Age is one of them, with risks for the elderly and young children known.
There are also less discussed risks, such as crime levels, with high crime rates that deter people from opening windows.
Landscape also plays an important role, as heavy concrete areas absorb a lot of heat, while street trees and green spaces have a cooling effect and provide shelter, and high-rise buildings are especially susceptible to overheating.
Birmingham is not only urban, but also has a large park of private rental accommodation in disrepair.
Childs said these areas should be targeted for greater support, such as planting more trees on the streets, installing air conditioning in community centers or adapting homes to make them warmer in the winter and cooler in the winter. summer.
Childs called it an issue of “equity” and “race,” with all communities most affected with an below-average carbon footprint and ethnically diverse people four times more likely to live in a vulnerable community than whites.
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12:12 Why the heat waves get worse
FoE wants the government to prioritize the 3,000 most vulnerable neighborhoods for publicly funded adaptation projects, as well as reduce emissions to prevent further warming.
A government spokesman said the UK had already reduced emissions faster than any other G7 nation and made £ 1.2bn funding available to local councils to take local action.
It is also working on regulatory plans to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings, although the existing housing stock remains a problem.
The Association of Local Governments was not available for comment.
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2:11 Is it hotter more often?
Professor Robert Lowe, who specializes in energy resilience and built environments at University College London, said that while climate change was dangerous, the current “disintegration of global supply chains and the likelihood of the energy crisis followed by a general food crisis. the impoverishment of populations “made the demands” unrealistic “.
Researchers first focused on England, which has the highest risk and the largest population.
A similar project looking at Wales is underway.
The analysis comes when government climate advisers warn of the dangers of “blocking” the dangerous impacts of climate change on our homes.
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