The rapid progress of climate change requires effective concepts for protecting people indoors

Tunga Salthammer , Lidia Morawska

According to the latest forecasts from the United Nations, it is highly likely that we will miss by a wide margin the 1.5 °C climate target set in the Paris Agreement in 2015. Rather, this planet has to prepare for a global temperature increase of 2.6 - 3.1 °C by 2100 and associated frequently occurring extreme weather events. It is therefore high time to design and technically equip the buildings, in which a large part of everyday life takes place, for future requirements to avoid endangering the health of the population in the short or long-term. Generally, occupied indoor spaces not only serve as living and working environments, but are also needed to protect people, particularly vulnerable population groups (e.g., those residing in hospitals and retirement homes) against heat stress, microbial contamination, air pollutants, and other threats. However, this aspect of climate change has not yet been adequately addressed at either government or municipal level. Many existing buildings do not meet the requirements that can be expected in the future, and disaster protection is not sufficiently taken into account in current planning.