Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate
Understanding the health risks associated with indoor overheating and the impacts of cooling energy poverty during summer is becoming increasingly urgent as anthropogenic climate change intensifies heatwave events in many places. We report on results from a cross-sectional postal survey undertaken i...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Climate Risk Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096325000129 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849761883209334784 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhiting Chen Kimberley Clare O’Sullivan Rachel Kowalchuk Dohig Nevil Pierse Terence Jiang Mylène Riva Runa Das |
| author_facet | Zhiting Chen Kimberley Clare O’Sullivan Rachel Kowalchuk Dohig Nevil Pierse Terence Jiang Mylène Riva Runa Das |
| author_sort | Zhiting Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the health risks associated with indoor overheating and the impacts of cooling energy poverty during summer is becoming increasingly urgent as anthropogenic climate change intensifies heatwave events in many places. We report on results from a cross-sectional postal survey undertaken in Summer 2021/2022, conducted in five regions of New Zealand that typically experience some of the highest temperatures nationally. The study revealed that energy poverty is significant issue during summer, with 43% of the respondents identifying cost as a cooling restriction. Indoor overheating commonly affected the health and wellbeing of participants, with 63% reporting adverse health outcomes. Households citing cost as a cooling restriction were significantly more likely to report adverse health outcomes. Renters and indigenous Māori households were disproportionately affected by indoor overheating and the associated health and energy inequities. These findings highlight the growing health risks from indoor heat exposure in warming climatesparticularly in temperate countries like New Zealand, where inhabitants and infrastructure are not adequately prepared to handle heat-related risks. Relying solely on energy-intensive active cooling exacerbates energy poverty and injustice, increasing residential energy demand. Policy interventions should focus on promoting passive, energy-efficient, and sustainable cooling strategies to protect vulnerable populations from heat-related health disparities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-273780a681d84cbfa101536fe61cf363 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2212-0963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate Risk Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-273780a681d84cbfa101536fe61cf3632025-08-20T03:05:53ZengElsevierClimate Risk Management2212-09632025-01-014810069810.1016/j.crm.2025.100698Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climateZhiting Chen0Kimberley Clare O’Sullivan1Rachel Kowalchuk Dohig2Nevil Pierse3Terence Jiang4Mylène Riva5Runa Das6New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington South 6242, New Zealand; Corresponding author at: New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington 6242, New Zealand.New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington South 6242, New ZealandNew Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington South 6242, New ZealandNew Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington South 6242, New ZealandNew Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington South 6242, New ZealandDepartment of Geography, McGill University, Burnside Hall Room 705, 805 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B9, CanadaCollege of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University, Victoria V9B 5Y2, CanadaUnderstanding the health risks associated with indoor overheating and the impacts of cooling energy poverty during summer is becoming increasingly urgent as anthropogenic climate change intensifies heatwave events in many places. We report on results from a cross-sectional postal survey undertaken in Summer 2021/2022, conducted in five regions of New Zealand that typically experience some of the highest temperatures nationally. The study revealed that energy poverty is significant issue during summer, with 43% of the respondents identifying cost as a cooling restriction. Indoor overheating commonly affected the health and wellbeing of participants, with 63% reporting adverse health outcomes. Households citing cost as a cooling restriction were significantly more likely to report adverse health outcomes. Renters and indigenous Māori households were disproportionately affected by indoor overheating and the associated health and energy inequities. These findings highlight the growing health risks from indoor heat exposure in warming climatesparticularly in temperate countries like New Zealand, where inhabitants and infrastructure are not adequately prepared to handle heat-related risks. Relying solely on energy-intensive active cooling exacerbates energy poverty and injustice, increasing residential energy demand. Policy interventions should focus on promoting passive, energy-efficient, and sustainable cooling strategies to protect vulnerable populations from heat-related health disparities.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096325000129Indoor heatOverheatingHousingHealthCoolingEnergy poverty |
| spellingShingle | Zhiting Chen Kimberley Clare O’Sullivan Rachel Kowalchuk Dohig Nevil Pierse Terence Jiang Mylène Riva Runa Das Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate Climate Risk Management Indoor heat Overheating Housing Health Cooling Energy poverty |
| title | Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate |
| title_full | Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate |
| title_fullStr | Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate |
| title_short | Identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate |
| title_sort | identifying summer energy poverty and public health risks in a temperate climate |
| topic | Indoor heat Overheating Housing Health Cooling Energy poverty |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096325000129 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhitingchen identifyingsummerenergypovertyandpublichealthrisksinatemperateclimate AT kimberleyclareosullivan identifyingsummerenergypovertyandpublichealthrisksinatemperateclimate AT rachelkowalchukdohig identifyingsummerenergypovertyandpublichealthrisksinatemperateclimate AT nevilpierse identifyingsummerenergypovertyandpublichealthrisksinatemperateclimate AT terencejiang identifyingsummerenergypovertyandpublichealthrisksinatemperateclimate AT myleneriva identifyingsummerenergypovertyandpublichealthrisksinatemperateclimate AT runadas identifyingsummerenergypovertyandpublichealthrisksinatemperateclimate |