The New South Wales Greens are calling for urgent action to address the impacts of extreme heat on renters and students in Australian classrooms.
Greens Climate Change spokesperson Jenny Leong said students in unairconditioned classrooms as well as people living in hot-box rental accommodation are suffering.
“Extreme heat is a serious issue that is having a disproportionate and dangerous impact on renters and students - and it is high time the government stepped in to offer much needed relief,” she said.
“The Greens are committed to implementing minimum energy efficiency standards for all rental homes by 2025 and establishing programs and subsidies to ensure renters are able to access solar.
“We have a plan to introduce measures to reduce urban heat impacts on schools, ensure adequate air conditioning and heating in all classrooms and expand school solar programs and transition schools to 100 per cent renewable energy.”
In recent weeks community meetings have been held in Sydney’s west to look at ways to manage heat.
Over 700 people attended the community assembly organised by the Sydney Alliance with urgent calls being made for minimum mandatory energy efficiency standards for renters as well as addressing heat impacts on learning in classrooms.
The NSW Greens’ plan includes air conditioning in all classrooms, the introduction of energy efficiency measures for all rental properties by 1 July, 2028. This will include adequate insulation, draught proofing and double glazing.
Retrofitting to meet these standards will also be required before 1 July 2028 whenever a tenanted property is sold, a new tenancy agreement is signed or a major renovation over the value of $50,000 is undertaken.
The Greens will introduce interest-free loans for landlords to comply with the minimum energy efficiency standards.
Interest-free loans for owner-occupiers of property to improve energy efficiency will also be made available. Loans would be offered to owner-occupiers of properties with an improved land value of no more than $1.5 million to, for example, install insulation or double-glazing.