Heatwave deaths signal clear need for Lib Dem “cool rule”

EMBARGOED: 0001 Friday 23rd October 2026

Responding to new figures on 2026 heatwave deaths collated by Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, Pippa Heylings MP, said:

“These figures are a devastating wake-up call. With an estimated 4,500 heat-related deaths in UK towns and cities alone, extreme heat is no longer a future threat - it is a lethal reality.

“Our housing stock is woefully unprepared for the climate emergency. For years, developers have been allowed to throw up poorly ventilated homes that turn into virtual heat traps the moment a summer heatwave strikes, putting vulnerable residents and young families alike at serious risk.

“Warm words will not cool our homes or protect lives. The Government must urgently introduce a compulsory ‘Cool Rule’ to building regulations, requiring all new homes to be built with effective cooling systems alongside mandatory shading and passive cooling standards. Making our homes climate-ready isn't an optional luxury; it is a life-saving necessity.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The new figures from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research, published in Nature, estimated around 50,000 excess heat deaths are estimated to have occurred in 854 European urban areas during summer 2026, with 4,500 deaths estimated in the UK.

Liberal Democrat Climate Ready homes proposal here.