The dossier sets out a four step policy pathway for the future to deliver effective ventilation and improved indoor air quality inside UK homes in order to help protect health and wellbeing.
To avoid the serious risk of creating a major public health burden by sealing pollutants and viruses in our homes, the White Paper makes it clear that we must adopt a ‘Ventilate when you Insulate’ approach, ensuring that energy efficiency and ventilation improvements go hand-in-hand, and poor quality installations of ventilation systems and poor compliance are rooted out.
The document covers the impacts of poor indoor air quality, the positive effect of ventilation on health, and the challenges we face, before outlining four policy solutions to take the country forward:
This update from trade association BEAMA comes amid a seminal moment for the built environment in the UK, with the country navigating its way out of the pandemic, the introduction of new Building Regulations for energy conservation and ventilation, and the government driving its long term net-zero strategy. The push towards energy efficiency has led to increasing airtightness, but this has not been matched by ventilation improvements, resulting in the increased risk of poor indoor air quality compromising the health and wellbeing of occupants.
The Paper acknowledges that while the UK government has shown good intentions, such as its commitment in the Heat and Buildings Strategy to take decisive, ‘no-regrets’ action now on improving ventilation and mitigating the risks of poor indoor air quality, a concrete plan must be delivered in practice.
Colin Timmins, Director of the BEAMA Ventilation Group, hopes the updated White Paper will serve as a wake-up call to government: “Our message to policymakers is simple: a ‘Ventilate when you Insulate’ approach must be adopted, and poor-quality installations and compliance must be tackled, to ensure indoor air quality and health are safeguarded. By adopting and implementing the four policy solutions set out in this White Paper, the government can achieve this and deliver healthy homes that are fit for the future.”
Commenting on the Paper, Keith Ritchie, Chair of the BEAMA Ventilation Group stated: "While progress on ventilation and indoor air quality has been made over the last four years, much more still needs to be done to integrate, regulate and improve ventilation standards.”
Ritchie adds: “this 2022 version of our Ventilation White Paper represents a timely update that urges government to act without delay and devise a clear plan to deliver effective ventilation and healthy indoor air quality.”
To download the updated 2022 edition of the BEAMA Ventilation White Paper, click here.
If you'd like to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the heating and plumbing industry, why not subscribe to our weekly newsletters? Just click the button below and you can ensure all the latest industry news and new product information lands in your inbox every week.