Swedish Government Sets New Indoor Temperature Limits for Elderly Care Homes

Sweden's climate and environment minister Romina Pourmokhtari announced that the Public Health Agency (Folkhälsomyndigheten) will receive authority to issue binding regulations on the maximum indoor temperature in residences for the elderly and disabled. Existing guidance caps indoor heat at 26 °C; the new rules, expected to be in force by next summer, will allow municipalities to tighten limits and enforce compliance. The measure seeks to reduce heat‑wave‑related excess mortality, which in the summer of 2018 accounted for about 700 extra deaths in Sweden. While some sanctions such as fines are foreseen, they will not be applied to municipalities that fail to meet the new standards.

The initiative follows a proposal from the Climate Adaptation Review and aims to make heat‑wave protection uniform across the country, ensuring that vulnerable residents in care facilities are not exposed to life‑threatening temperatures.