Building Inclusive Heat Resilience: Strengthening Action for a Hotter UK

This event will announce the inaugural Adeline Stuart-Watt Award winner and will be followed by a panel discussion between the Commissioners of the National Heat Risk Commission on how to build heat resilience in the UK in way that works for everyone, particularly those most at risk from heat.

The first part of the event focuses on the Adeline Stuart-Watt Award, which celebrates the legacy of Adeline Stuart-Watt, a highly respected and very sadly missed friend and colleague at the LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance. The Award recognises outstanding postgraduate research that makes a significant contribution to climate adaptation and resilience policy and practice. Prof Swenja Surminski will open the session, and Prof Candice Howarth will provide a brief overview of the Award and the selection process before presenting the Award to the winner, who will then share an overview of their prize-winning work. The Adeline Stuart-Watt Award is generously supported by the Z Zurich Foundation.

The second part of the event focuses on the National Heat Risk Commission, established in March 2026 to help the UK prepare for the growing risks of extreme heat. The Commission emerged from discussion at the first Adeline Talks series, which brought together experts and practitioners to consider whether a dedicated national commission was needed to drive action on heat risk. This year’s event provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made since those initial conversations and to discuss the next steps for building heat resilience across the UK.

The Chair of the Commission, Prof Emma Howard Boyd, will facilitate a discussion between newly appointed Commissioners Dr Ashok Sinha, Jane Davidson, Dr Sally Uren and Yetunde Abdul. Together The Commission will reflect on what an inclusive approach to heat resilience means in the UK context, explore the actions needed to make it a reality, and discuss how to make heat resilience a cross-cutting national security priority.

Tea and coffee will be available from 9:00AM. The event will conclude with a Q&A with the panel and an opportunity for networking.