Researching Heritage, Climate Change and Environment
Environmental impacts on the historic environment can involve flooding, coastal change, extreme weather events and changes in the distribution of species. Climate change is continually increasing the likelihood, magnitude and frequency of these processes.
Our historic environment is particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Structures which have been standing for hundreds of years and archaeology previously buried safely underground are in increasing danger from extremes of wetting, drying and temperature fluctuation. Our diverse landscapes and historic coasts are also at risk of significant change.
However, taking action now will make it possible to help protect some of the historic environment, by developing adaptation measures and building resilience into our plans. Historic England's ongoing role is to commission research and provide expert advice to protect historic places. As we move forward into climate-uncertainty, Historic England is continuing to focus on finding the best solutions to help manage vulnerable parts of the historic environment.
Changing environmental conditions will affect buildings and archaeology, both directly through the action of physical, biological, and chemical processes, and indirectly through the human actions undertaken to adapt to or mitigate them. However, the scale of change will be highly variable, with little or no adaptation required for some and possible acceptance of unavoidable loss for others.
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Identification of Climate Hazard and Climate Change Adaptation Resources
Historic England Research Reports Series 16/2024.
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Creating a Vocabulary of Climate Change Hazards for Heritage
Historic England Research Reports Series 13/2024
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Approaches to Heritage Climate Change Risk Assessment: an integrative literature review
Historic England Research Reports Series 13/2024
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Mapping Climate-Related Hazards to Historic Sites
Historic England Research Reports Series 27/2022
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Assessment of Heritage at Risk from Environmental Threat
Historic England Research Reports Series 72/2013; published 2017.
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The Impact of Climate Change on Historic Interiors
Historic England Research reports Series 73/2013; published 2017
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Flooding and the English Heritage Inland Estate
Historic England Research Reports Series 51/2013; published 2014
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English Heritage Coastal Estate Risk Assessment
Historic England research reports Series 68/2011
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EPCs and the Whole House Approach: A Scoping Study.
Historic England Research Reports Series 46/2018.
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External Wall Insulation in Traditional Buildings
Historic England Research Reports Series 88/2014, published in this format in 2017.
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The Heritage Dimension of Commercial Renewable Energy Development in Planning
Historic England Research Reports Series 35/2021.
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Understanding Carbon in the Historic Environment. Scoping Study 19 May 2020
Historic England Research Reports Series 215/2020
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Correlating Maintenance, Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty for Traditional Buildings in the UK
Historic England Research Reports Series 100/2016; published 2018.
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The Sustainable Use of Energy in Traditional Dwellings: Using legislation and policy to guide decision-making
Historic England Research Reports Series 46/2017
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Climate Change Adaptation Report
Historic England Research Reports Series 17/2024.
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The Historic Landscape: Assessing Opportunity for Change
Historic England Research Reports Series 69/2022
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Adaptive Release: Guidance Framework for Sites Affected by Coastal Erosion and Flood Management
Historic England Research Reports Series 85/2022
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Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings: Assessing the Thermal and Hygrothermal Performance of Two Refurbished Dwellings
Historic England Research Reports Series 11/2023.
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Performance and Energy Efficiency of Traditional Buildings: Gap Analysis, Update 2020
Historic England Research Reports Series 210/2020.
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SPAB Building Performance Survey 2019 - Final Report May 2020
Historic England Research Reports Series 231/2020.
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The SPAB Research Report 2: The SPAB Building Performance Survey 2017
Historic England Research Reports Series 89/2017; published 2018
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The SPAB Research Report 2: The SPAB Building Performance Survey 2016
Historic England Research Reports Series 102/2016; published in this format in 2018.
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The SPAB Research Report 2: SPAB Building Performance Survey 2015
Historic England Research Reports Series 126/2015; published in this format in 2018
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The SPAB Research Report 2: SPAB Building Performance Survey 2013
Historic England Research Reports Series 95/2013; published in this format in 2018.
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SPAB Building Performance Survey Project: U Value Report 2012
Historic England Research Reports 57/2012; published in this format in 2017.
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The SPAB Research Report 2: SPAB Building Performance Survey 2011
Historic England Research Report Series ; published in this format in 2018.