RICS warns on cost of climate change
The annual cost of electricity needed to maintain comfortable temperatures in schools in the North West is expected to rise by £150m by 2030 as a result of climate change, says the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
A new report written by Sturgis Carbon Profiling and commissioned by the RICS forecasts hotter summers and more extreme weather will force schools across the North West to use significantly more electricity to run their buildings. Sturgis said summer temperatures in the North West are predicted to be up to two degrees higher by 2030 and up to two degrees cooler in the winter.
By 2030 a typical school building of around 25,000 sq ft can expect to pay more than £7,000 a year more for electricity.
Jonathan Mills, director of Jones Lang LaSalle and North West RICS spokesman, said: "Many of the North West commercial buildings are not energy efficient enough to suitably cope with the future predicted changes in the climate. Therefore, many existing schools, hospitals and offices are in danger of becoming too pricy to run and unsuitable to provide pupils, patients and workers with the right conditions to work, study and recover from illness.
"It is important that property professionals in our region understand how they can and should adapt, and maintain their buildings now to ensure they are not only cost efficient but also sustainable for generations to come, otherwise electricity costs could spiral out of control."
