According to NASA, July 22, 2024 was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth. This follows records set in July 2023. Extreme heat is now a part of our everyday lives. How can we rethink heat policy to make our communities more resilient? 

In this episode of the Healthy Spaces podcast, our VP of Sustainability Scott Tew talks with Ashley Ward, director of the Duke University Heat Policy Innovation Hub, and Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Trane Technologies Director of Global Climate Policy, about elevating science and community insights to protect people from extreme heat. 

On the sidelines of Duke University’s first-of-its-kind Heatwise Summit, Ashley, Helen and Scott workshop an example of rethinking heat policy—the fact that 36,000 public schools in the United States lack adequate cooling. They talk about how to bring the public and private sector together to solve this challenge creatively and how schools could serve as a cooling hub for rural communities. 

Listen to the full episode to learn more about how to address heat vulnerability in an equitable way and build resilience in our communities for the long term. 

Episode guests

Host: Dominique Silva, Marketing Leader EMEA, Trane Technologies

Host: Scott Tew, VP Sustainability, Trane Technologies

Guest: Ashley Ward, Director, Duke University Heat Policy Innovation Hub 

Guest: Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Director of Global Climate Policy, Trane Technologies