Child and adolescent Health Impacts of Learning Indoor environments under net zero: The CHILI Hub

What is this research project about?

The aim of the CHILI Hub is to ensure that we support and improve children's and education as school and nursery buildings are being made environmentally sustainable.

Who are we?

We are a group of researchers from a range of backgrounds, including engineering, public health, clinical medicine, mental health research and education.

Why are we doing this research?

By 2050, the UK should not put more carbon emissions (which lead to global warming) into the atmosphere than it takes out. This is known as the 'net zero target'.

To meet this target, we need to make buildings in the UK more energy efficient.

Schools and nurseries make up 15% of carbon emissions from public buildings in the UK. Nowadays, more insultation and airtight building designs are used to make buildings more energy efficient. This means less energy is required to heat buildings, but it may also lead to more indoor air pollution becoming trapped, or making it very hot indoors. Respiratory infections also spread more easily in airtight buildings.

Children and young people spend most of their time in school indoors. The indoor environment at school can support children's physical and mental health, and their education. Therefore, it is important to check and observe how the indoor environment in schools can affect children and young people's health as school and nursery buildings are being adapted to meet the net zero target.

What will the CHILI Hub research?

The CHILI Hub which will focus on six aspects:

Map: We will measure indoor air pollution in classrooms and schools across England and Wales and combine these measurements with measured and estimated outdoor air pollution data. This will help us develop indicators of indoor environments in schools that can be compared between areas.
Understand: We will combine these school indoor environment indicators with national data on children's health and education, collected by hospitals, pharmacies and schools in England and Wales. We will research the link between indoor air pollution or heat in schools and children's health and school non-attendance.
Model: We will develop combined building and health impact assessment models, which describe the impact of climate change and energy efficient building alterations, on indoor environments in schools. We will use these models to work out how these changes will affect children's health in the future.
Test and evaluate: We will evaluate (weigh-up) if existing technology and behaviours to improve the indoor environment support children's health. This will include examining if installation of air cleaning filters affects children's use of health services, and if window opening impact children's comfort in classrooms.
Involve: We will work with children, young people and teachers to develop data collection methods to measure the impact of the indoor environment on children's health and education.
Engage: We will set up a network of individuals and organisations who work with, or will be affected by making school buildings meet the net zero target. We will work with them to identify and describe any barriers to making school buildings energy efficient.
We will work closely with policy makers, schools, parents and carers, and children and young people to ensure our findings improve health and education for all children.