Global temperatures are shattering records this week. And the United Nations is making an urgent “call to action” on extreme heat that’s killing workers and putting more people at risk with climate change.
The first three days of this week have been the hottest on record for the planet, according to preliminary data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. And it’s now looking likely that 2024 could beat last year to become the hottest year on record. Against that backdrop, United Nations (UN) agencies released a new global analysis of heat stress on workers today, along with a roadmap for how to protect the most vulnerable.
“Let’s face facts: extreme temperatures are no longer a one-day, one-week, or one-month phenomenon,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Sunday likely set a record for the highest global average temperature recorded since at least 1940, the start of Copernicus’ data set. That record fell by Monday when the global average temperature reached a new high of 17.15 degrees Celsius (62.87 degrees Fahrenheit). The following day came very close to being as hot, according to preliminary data. That means that July 21st through 23rd have probably been the three hottest days on record — at least so far. Heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are raising global average temperatures and making heatwaves more frequent and more intense.
A tourist suffered third-degree burns on his feet and had to be rescued after either losing or breaking his flip-flops in California’s Death Valley, where temperatures reached around 50.55 degrees Celsius (123 degrees Fahrenheit). Heat has made travel more treacherous in other parts of the world. At least 10 tourists from other countries were found dead or missing along hiking trails in Greece last month. At least 1,300 people died amid scorching temperatures in Saudi Arabia this June during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
Workers are routinely at risk from heat stress around the world, a report released today by the International Labour Organization (ILO) shows. Heat leads to nearly 23 million injuries and 18,970 deaths globally among workers each year, according to the ILO. More than 70 percent of the global workforce is vulnerable to extreme heat on the job, it says, particularly those who work outdoors or indoors without proper ventilation or cooling.
A separate report released today by the secretary-general and 10 different UN agencies issues a “call to action on extreme heat.” It lays out policy recommendations for governments, including stronger protections for workers. “Sensible occupational safety and health measures” would save economies $361 billion a year, according to the ILO. Labor productivity drops by 50 percent when daily temperatures surpass 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit).
Cities and buildings can also be designed to stay cooler and trap less heat. Early warning systems for heat (similar to those for storms) can also save lives, the UN says. Heat kills more people around the world than tropical cyclones, but those deaths can be prevented by helping people find a safe place to cool down. More than 98,300 heat deaths could be prevented each year with adequate warning systems in place in just 57 countries, according to the report.
Addressing the root cause of the problem, however, depends on transitioning away from the fossil fuels causing global warming. “Countries must phase out fossil fuels — fast and fairly,” Guterres said today. “The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.”