The 2023  Parliament Environment Audit Committee inquiry that closed on 17th August 2023 focussed on the issues of the relationship between heat and health, Government policies in relation to current and future need for cooling and what measures could be taken to increase adaptation and resilience to rising temperatures - sustainable cooling solutions and adaptation strategies that minimise overheating, reduce energy consumption and prevent overloading the electricity grid.   MPs are aiming to understand how communities can better adapt to increased temperatures without relying on energy-intensive solutions, such as air conditioning units.   

The IOR submitted a response drafted by members of our Beyond Refrigeration Environment Committee and Technical Committees that highlighted the importance of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps technologies to address overheating, energy management and emissions reduction matters.   The IOR response has been published on the Environment Audit Committee website at https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/123183/html/ 

 

Join the debate on the future of cooling

The IOR will be holding a Business Technical Briefing on Extreme Heat on 14th November in Birmingham where these issues and examples from other countries who are managing cooling in a wider temperature envelope will be discussed further.  Registrations for this event are now open

 

Beyond Refrigeration

Read more about IOR's Beyond Refrigeration policy work

 

TICR - understanding emissions

Where are emissions coming from in transport, industrial and commerical refrigeration (TICR) and what can be done to reduce them? What new technologies are coming that will have an impact? What skills are needed for the future?  Follow the TICR project, led by LSBU on behalf of DESNZ, with IOR support and involvment at www.netzerorefrigeration.uk 

 

 

 

 

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About the IOR

23 Apr 2026

The Institute of Refrigeration is the professional engineering body for all individuals working in RACHP. Find out more about the IOR here. 

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Find out what the IOR can do for you: technical queries, safety codes of practice, new  technologies and professional development.

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Smart Controls & System Intelligence Masterclass

8 Jun 2026

The June 2026 Masterclass on smart controls and system intelligence is now available for download from the IOR Masterclass library.

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