Does rapidly progressing climate change necessitate better concepts for protecting people indoors?

Press note /

Professor Tunga Salthammer from Fraunhofer WKI and Professor Lidia Morawska from Queensland University of Technology recently published an article in the journal WIREs Climate Change, in which they examine an important question: What does climate change mean for indoor air quality, i.e., in homes, offices, schools and other buildings?

Modern building concepts are required to meet the progressing challenges of climate change (Image: AI-generated).

The authors base their findings on the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). According to this report, global warming is expected to reach 2.7 °C or more by 2100. At the same time, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an important ocean current system, is weakening. Together, these two factors are likely to lead to more drastic climate and weather events than previously assumed. This also increases the demands on buildings in which people live, work, and seek shelter.

The article first discusses four aspects of how indoor air quality can be affected by climate change and related environmental conditions:

  • Thermal comfort: How comfortable or uncomfortable is the indoor microclimate?
  • Particulate matter pollution: How are people exposed to respirable particles?
  • Indoor air chemistry: What substances are present in indoor air and how do they react?
  • Microbiological contamination: How heavily are indoor spaces contaminated with germs, bacteria, and mold spores?

This is followed by considerations on how a combination of building design and monitoring can improve air quality through ventilation. The authors also formulate technical and political requirements that are necessary to prepare the living and working environment for the expected scenarios of climate change. According to this, society has the appropriate action plans as well as structural and technical resources to meet these challenges. One problem, however, are complicated administrative decision-making processes, which often delay or prevent the implementation of necessary measures.

Salthammer and Morawska conclude that indoor air quality must be a key public health issue. Heat protection, the use of modern ventilation systems, and structural concepts are particularly important in this regard. If the adaptation of buildings to climate-related risks is further delayed, health risks will increase significantly - especially for particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and sick people. In addition, social anxiety could grow if no clear and comprehensive strategies for crisis management are available.

The article (open access, CC BY 4.0 license) was published on February 3, 2026, and is available online under the DOI number 10.1002/wcc-70043.

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