VOICES | ANASTASIA MYLONA A proactive approach in a warming climate As global temperatures rise, CIBSE is looking to update its tools for calculating overheating risk in new homes. Dr Anastasia Mylona explains how work on TM59 and weather les aims to increase buildings resilience T DR ANASTASIA MYLONA is technical director at CIBSE he latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (2023) finds that there is a more than 50% chance that global temperature rise will reach or exceed 1.5oC between 2021 and 2040 across emissions scenarios. Under a highemissions pathway the one on which the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are currently the world may hit this threshold even sooner, between 2018 and 2037. With the current 1.1oC of global temperature rise, changes to the climate system are now occurring in every region of the world, with rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and rapidly disappearing sea ice. Even if we managed to reduce our global emissions to zero tomorrow, we are already destined for a certain level of climate change because of the GHG emissions already released into the atmosphere by the middle of this century. What the above is clearly telling us is that, while we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions towards a net zero future, its imperative that we also build resilience in all sectors of human activity, including the built environment, where most of us spend most of our lives. The main areas in which climate change will impact the built environment are thermal comfort and energy use, structural integrity, and water management. Warmer winters may reduce the need for heating, but keeping cool in summer without increasing energy use will present a key challenge. The industry will also have to address the impact of extreme storms and having too much water (floods) and too little (droughts). CIBSE tools and resources are widely used by policy and industry to inform adaptation strategies. For example, in 2022, CIBSEs TM59 Design methodology for the assessment of overheating risk in homes was introduced as one of the methods to show compliance with the Building Regulations on overheating in England: Approved Document O. For the first time, the requirement to increase the resilience of buildings (new homes) to the impacts Its imperative that we build resilience in all sectors of human activity, including our built environment, where most of us spend most of our lives Unrivaled Accuracy in Airflow & Pressure Differential Measurement Accurate and stable measurement down to still air for HVAC No onsite calibration is required Thermal dispersion technology Premier specified airflow measurement device cooperward.co.uk +44 118 971 4971 enquiries@cooperward.co.uk comp-cooperward.indd 1 9/14/2023 1:51:04 PM 12 February 2024 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Feb 24 pp12-13 Anastasia Mylona.indd 12 26/01/2024 12:42