Guterres: Actions on Heat
As global temperatures continue to rise, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for urgent action to address extreme heat, focusing on protecting the most vulnerable, safeguarding workers, enhancing resilience through data, and expanding research and climate science management.
Guterres highlighted in a statement, "Extreme temperatures are no longer a one-day, one-week, or one-month phenomenon. If there’s one thing that unites our divided world, it’s that we’re all increasingly feeling the heat. Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere. Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic, with deadly heatwaves and temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F). This year alone, a deadly heatwave hit the Sahel, leading to spiking hospitalizations and deaths, and temperature records have been shattered across the United States, impacting 120 million people. Scorching conditions have killed 1,300 pilgrims during Haj, shut down tourist attractions in Europe, and closed schools across Asia and Africa, affecting over 80 million children."
Guterres emphasized that extreme heat is the new abnormal, driven by fossil fuel-induced climate change. "Extreme heat is tearing through economies, widening inequalities, undermining the Sustainable Development Goals, and killing people. Heat is estimated to kill almost half a million people a year, which is about 30 times more than tropical cyclones," he said.
The UN Secretary-General outlined key steps to address extreme heat globally:
Caring for the Most Vulnerable: Extreme heat affects everyone, but not equally. The urban poor, pregnant women, people with disabilities, older people, the very young, the sick, the displaced, and the impoverished are most at risk. UNICEF reports that nearly 25% of all children today are exposed to frequent heatwaves, a figure that could rise to nearly 100% by 2050. To protect these groups, we need to increase access to low-carbon cooling, expand passive cooling solutions, and improve cooling technology efficiency. These measures could protect 3.5 billion people by 2050, reduce emissions, and save consumers $1 trillion annually. It's also crucial to enhance protection for the vulnerable through the Early Warning Systems for All initiative, which could save almost 100,000 lives annually in 57 countries.
Protecting Workers: A new International Labour Organization (ILO) report reveals that over 70% of the global workforce, or 2.4 billion people, are at high risk of extreme heat. This issue is particularly severe in Asia, the Pacific, Arab States, Africa, and Europe. Excessive heat causes nearly 23 million workplace injuries worldwide and significantly reduces labor productivity. By 2030, heat stress at work could cost the global economy $2.4 trillion. To address this, we need to implement protective measures grounded in human rights and ensure laws and regulations reflect the current reality of extreme heat.
Boosting Resilience with Data and Science: Extreme heat affects infrastructure, crops, water supplies, health systems, and electricity grids. Cities, which are heating up at twice the global average, need comprehensive Heat Action Plans based on the best science and data. We must make a concerted effort to heat-proof economies, critical sectors, and the built environment.
Guterres stressed the importance of addressing the broader climate crisis, which includes extreme heat, hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, and rising sea levels. He called for an end to fossil fuel expansion and new coal plants, urging governments, especially G20 countries, and the private sector to act urgently. National climate action plans must align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, and we must phase out fossil fuels, shift subsidies to renewables, and support vulnerable countries and communities.
The Secretary-General also highlighted the need for strong financial outcomes from COP29, innovative finance sources, and increased lending capacity of multilateral development banks to help developing countries tackle the climate crisis. Wealthier countries must fulfill their climate finance commitments.
Guterres concluded, "The message is clear: the heat is on. Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and the planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures."
