This rapid review identified two results extracted from the eight studies (published between 2013 and 2018) that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Firstly, our analysis identified five common themes across the included studies which provide tentative information for what would be needed to make low carbon residential retrofit/renovation policy work. Secondly, we make an overall observation that the included studies did not provide sufficient evidence or establish conclusive results about the effectiveness of specific low carbon policies compared to other policies.

Residential energy efficiency interventions are complex social and construction programmes that may benefit health, yet the interactions between the material improvements, health and health-related outcomes, and householder responses are not well understood. While indoor winter warmth and householder satisfaction have been identified as the key mediators for physiological, mental and social health outcomes, this paper explores how programme contexts may have influenced the outcomes. This review revealed that common target populations were low income households, children and the elderly.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (Eba) uses biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of a larger adaptation strategy to climate change. While the conservation and sustainable development community considers EbA to be a strong method of addressing climate change and its associated challenges, there is still a tendency for policy makers to implement traditional engineering solutions for adaptation, rather than investing in EbA.