UN Chief Calls for Global Action to Address Deadly Extreme Heat

As global temperatures continue to rise, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a worldwide call to action for more effective protection of the billions of people who are exposed to extreme heat.

The urgent appeal follows the highest temperature ever recorded for the planet, as well as deadly heat waves in the United States, the Middle East, Africa’s Sahel and Europe that have caused the deaths of several hundred people, including 1,301 Hajj pilgrims this summer.

“Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic – wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world. That is 122 degrees Fahrenheit – halfway to boiling,” Guterres said during a press conference at New York’s UN Headquarters, according to a press release from the UN in Türkiye. “The message is clear: the heat is on. Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.”

Guterres pointed out that while “crippling heat is everywhere,” its effects are not felt by everyone equally.

Those who are most at risk include pregnant women, older people, children, those with disabilities, those who are suffering from illnesses and the poor and the displaced, who frequently live in substandard housing with no access to cooling.

UN estimates say that deaths related to extreme heat for those over 65 have increased by roughly 85 percent in the past two decades. Currently, 25 percent of children are exposed to frequent heat waves, a number that could rise to nearly 100 percent by 2050.

“We must respond by massively increasing access to low-carbon cooling, expanding passive cooling – such as natural solutions and urban design and cleaning up cooling technologies while boosting their efficiency,” Guterres said in the press release.

He also emphasized the need to scale up worker protections.

More than 70 percent of the world’s workforce — 2.4 billion people — are put at substantial risk by extreme heat, a new report by the UN’s International Labour Organization said. The situation is especially severe in the Arab and Africa regions, where upwards of 80 and 90 percent of workers are at risk, respectively.

Three out of four workers in Asia and the Pacific — the most populous region in the world — are also exposed to extreme heat.

“Excessive heat is the cause of almost 23 million workplace injuries worldwide,” Guterres said in another UN press release. “We need measures to protect workers, grounded in human rights. And we must ensure that laws and regulations reflect the reality of extreme heat today — and are enforced.”

Guterres pointed out the necessity of boosting the resilience of societies and economies, citing the impacts of crop failures, infrastructure damage and increased demand on water supplies, electric grids and health systems, UN in Türkiye said.

“The levels of heat we now routinely see around the world put every part of society under extreme pressure, directly harming our health while also affecting food and water security and much of our vital infrastructures,” said Alan Dangour, climate and health director at UK-based science foundation Wellcome, as Climate Change News reported.

Cities are under severe pressure, as they experience heating at two times the average global rate, said the UN in Türkiye press release.

In order to confront these challenges, Guterres said that specific and comprehensive action plans rooted in scientific data would be crucial for nations, cities and sectors.

“We need a concerted effort to heatproof economies, critical sectors and the built environment,” Guterres said in the press release.

Guterres reiterated the essential nature of recognizing the multitude of symptoms other than extreme heat, including droughts, wildfires, floods, rising sea levels and hurricanes.

The main issue is the world’s reliance on fossil fuels coupled with climate inaction, the UN chief said. He stressed that governments — in particular G20 nations, cities, regions and the private sector — must adopt climate action plans for limiting the rise of temperatures worldwide to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Countries must also end new coal projects and impose an urgent phase-out of fossil fuels.

“They must act as though our future depends on it – because it does,” Guterres said.