Increasing temperatures caused by climate change and intense urbanisation are already causing problems of overheating and reduced indoor air quality (IAQ)  in some buildings, especially during the warmer periods of the year. Such problem will potentially intensify in the future, especially in cities where conventional cooling measures such as shading and opening windows would be insufficient given the levels of pollution, noise and security concerns. There is a need to consider the effects that highly insulated and airtight spaces will have on IAQ and thermal comfort as current focus in buildings is on their winter performance in order to reduce heat losses.  The current issue of Building Services Engineering Research and Technology journal was commissioned by the Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change (ARCC) Network (http://www.arcc-network.org.uk/) with the aim to present the latest research on overheating and IAQ risks in buildings. There are nine papers published i