Addressing the climate crisis through a nexus approach - Prof Ian Hamilton's Inaugural Lecture

UCL Energy Institute hosted the inaugural lecture of Professor Ian Hamilton, exploring a nexus approach to climate action through energy, environment and health. About this lecture The energy system is responsible for around 70% of global CO2 emissions and 23% of deaths related to air pollution. Buildings are a major consumer of the energy system at around 30% of global energy use, and are an important determinant of health through exposure to heat/cold and indoor air pollution. Tackling climate change and protecting health demands both a swift phase out of fossil fuels and the transition of all existing buildings to being net-zero carbon by 2050. This lecture will explore the realities these transitions face and describe the advantages of using population-based approaches to studying, providing evidence, developing roadmaps and tracking changes of energy, environment and health within and across the global buildings sector. About the Speaker Professor Ian Hamilton Professor of Energy, Environment and Health at UCL Energy Institute Ian's research is focused on the nexus of the energy supply-demand system, sustainable building technologies, sustainable built environments, urban environmental quality, indoor environment and health. Ian is the Operating Agent for the International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC) 'Annex 70 - Building Energy Epidemiology: Analysis of Real Building Energy Use at Scale'. Ian is a Co-investigator on the EPSRC funded 'Centre for Research for Energy Demand Solutions'; the NERC funded projects 'APEx: An Air Pollution Exposure model to integrate protection of vulnerable groups into the UK Clean Air Programme' and 'Actively anticipating the unintended consequences on air quality of future public policies (ANTICIPATE)'. Ian is the UK PI on European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Climate Knowledge and Innovation Network (KIC) funded ‘Building Market Briefs’. Ian is the Mitigation theme lead of the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change. At UCL Energy Institute Ian is the module tutor for MSc Environmental Design and Engineering: Environmental Masterplanning.