Let’s beat the heat in our cities to save our planet
Professor Graeme Maidment from London South Bank University (LSBU) has called on cities to use a new Beating the Heat guide. The Beating the Heat guide contains 3 steps to reduce heat in urban areas. Professor Maidment took part in the launch of the Cities Mission at COP26 on 9 November and is Co-Lead for Mission Innovation’s Innovation Community on Affordable Heating and Cooling of Buildings.
Last week UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) launched a guide for cities to beat the heat and develop plans decarbonise in a warming world at COP26. The guide is the start of an international mission on decarbonising our cities through a collaboration between UNEP, The Rocky Mountain Institute, The Global Covenant of Mayors, The Clean Cooling Collaborative and Mission Innovation. Graeme Maidment from London South Bank University (LSBU) School of Engineering has been supporting Mission Innovation in its development and is listed as a collaborator in the guide.
World cities are heating up at twice the average rate due to urbanization and the heat island effect and by 2100 many cities across the globe could warm by as much as 4C, over double the Paris agreement goal 1.5C.
Professor Graeme Maidment said, “Cities should use our new Beating the Heat guide to decarbonise and tackle the damaging impact of climate change. I’m delighted to see work from across LSBU’s Heating and Cooling team and LSBU’s GreenSCIES project integrated within the Beating the Heat guide. Beating the heat in our cities offers the world the chance to cut carbon emissions and raise the quality of life for billions of people.”
Professor Asa Barber, Dean of LSBU’s School of Engineering said “I’m delighted to see this international impact being delivered and recognised as world-leading research carried out by LSBU’s School of Engineering.”