UN Chief issues global call to action as world records hottest days ever
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a new “global call to action” to protect people from extreme heat just days after the world recorded its two hottest days in history.
“If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it’s that we’re all increasingly feeling the heat,” Guterres stated in New York. He emphasized that scientists have clearly documented “a rapid rise in the scale, intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme-heat events” due to human-induced climate change.
The UN is urging member states to concentrate on four key areas. The first priority is to enhance direct care for individuals more susceptible to extreme heat.
This includes groups such as infants and young children, pregnant individuals, older adults (generally aged 65 and above), and those with certain chronic health conditions or on specific medications as their bodies struggle to adapt to high temperatures.
The second focus is on enhancing heat protection for workers. According to recent data from the UN’s International Labour Organization, over 70% of the global workforce is already considered to be at high risk from extreme heat, endangering millions with potential injuries and resulting in thousands of deaths.
Read more: Europe’s heatwave difficult for human body to cope, scientists say
Third, the UN advocates strengthening community resilience through data and science.
Fourth, it emphasizes the need to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C to prevent more deadly heat in the future. Guterres reiterated his previous calls to end new coal projects and phase out fossil fuels “quickly and equitably.”
UN agencies have also outlined potential steps governments can take to protect their populations from extreme heat.
Read more: 2024 on track to be the world’s hottest-recorded year
These steps include investing in passive cooling projects, enhancing building energy efficiency, revising laws to ensure worker protection, and increasing spending on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Additionally, governments can establish and strengthen early warning systems for heat.
Guterres highlighted that, according to the World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization, scaling up heat and health warning systems in 57 countries could save nearly 100,000 lives annually.
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