22 July 2024 was confirmed as warmest day globally in recent history. July 23 and July 21 also broke the record set in July 2023.
Yet Australia is still approving new coal and gas projects, allowing offshore #Fossilfuel exploration exacerbating the #ClimateCrisis. We need a #ClimateTrigger in National Environment laws
Sunday Monday and Tuesday this week all exceeded Global Daily Average Temperature Record set in July 2023. Welcome to the Anthropocene.
Australian climatologist Andrew Watkins highlighted the records in a post on X:
“Monday 22 July revised to 17.16C, as Tuesday comes in at 17.15C. Both break the Sunday global temperature record and all break the global temperature record set last year
17.15C 23 July 2024
17.16C 22 July 2024
17.09C 21 July 2024
17.08C 6 July 2023 “
ILO Report: Heat at Work - implications for Safety and Health
The International Labor Organisation released a new report on 25 July: Heat at work: Implications for safety and health, which the UN Secretary highlighted and drew upon for his press conference.
The report estimates that 4,200 workers globally lost their lives to heatwaves in 2020. In total, 231 million workers were exposed to heatwaves in 2020, marking a 66 per increase from 2000. Nonetheless, the report stresses that nine out of ten workers globally were exposed to excessive heat outside of a heatwave and eight in ten occupational injuries from extreme heat happened outside of heatwaves.
The report found that developing nations and regions are hit harder. Key regional findings :
Africa - Workplace exposures to excessive heat in Africa were above the global average, affecting 92.9 per cent of the workforce. The Africa region has the greatest proportion of occupational injuries attributable to excessive heat, accounting for 7.2 per cent of all occupational injuries.
Americas - The region has seen the most rapidly increasing proportion of heat-related occupational injuries since the year 2000, with an increase of 33.3 per cent. The Americas also have a significant proportion of occupational injuries due to excessive heat, at 6.7 per cent.
Arab States - Workplace exposures to excessive heat in the Arab States were above the global average, affecting 83.6 per cent of the workforce.
Asia and the Pacific - Workplace exposures to excessive heat in Asia and the Pacific were above the global average, affecting 74.7 per cent of the workforce.
Europe and Central Asia - had the greatest increase in excessive heat exposure, with a 17.3 per cent increase between 2000 and 2020. This is almost double the global average increase of 8.8 per cent. The region has seen a rapid increase in the proportion of heat-related occupational injuries since 2000, with a 16.4 per cent increase.
UN Secretary General on Extreme Heat
The UN Secretary General highlighted in his press conference the accelerating impacts of extreme heat, The World Meteorological Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and others have documented a rapid rise in the scale, intensity, frequency and duration of extreme-heat events. He highlighted that
- June was officially the 13th consecutive month to break global temperature records.
- Heat is estimated to kill almost half a million people a year, 30 times more than tropical cyclones.
- Extreme heat is driven by fossil fuel-charged, human-induced climate change.
- We know it’s going to get worse. Extreme heat is the new abnormal.
His global call to action had four key areas:
- Caring for the most vulnerable. Extreme heat amplifies inequality, inflames food insecurity, and pushes people further into poverty.
- Step up protections for workers. A new report from the International Labour Organization – being released today – warns that over 70 per cent of the global workforce – 2.4 billion people – are now at high risk of extreme heat.
- Massively boost the resilience of economies and societies using data and science. Extreme heat impacts almost every area: Infrastructure buckles, crops fail, and pressure piles on water supplies, health systems and electricity grids. Cities are heating up at twice the global average. Countries, cities, and sectors need comprehensive, tailored Heat Action Plans, based on the best science and data.
- Concerted effort to heatproof economies, critical sectors, and the built environment.
As well as these areas the Secretary General highlighted an overarching issue:
To tackle all the extreme weather climate disasters symptoms, we need to fight the disease. That disease is the madness of incinerating our only home. The disease is the addiction to fossil fuels. The disease is climate inaction.
He called out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world’s wealthiest countries. "In signing such a surge of new oil and gas licenses, they are signing away our future. The leadership of those with the greatest capabilities and capacities is essential. Countries must phase-out fossil fuels – fast and fairly. They must end new coal projects."
Australia's Resource Minister Madeleine King this last week on 23 July 2024 approved new offshore oil and gas exploration in Bass Strait and off the North West Cost of Western Australia, and 10 exploration permits for carbon dumping. This Australian Minister doesn't appear to be listening and heeding the call of the UN Secretary General, nor the clearly defined science on need to restrict and reduce fossil fuel production to reduce emissions. (See Climate Action Merribek: Resources Minister approves new offshore oil and gas exploration and 10 exploration permits for carbon dumping)
Watch the full UN Secretary General 20 minute press conference below.
Transcript
25 July 2024
Secretary-General's press conference - on Extreme Heat
Good afternoon.
It’s summertime. But the living is no longer easy.
This has been a week of unprecedented heat. First, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service declared Sunday July 21st as the hottest day on record. Then on Monday July 22nd, the mercury climbed even higher.
And now we have just received preliminary data indicating that Tuesday July 23rd was in the same range.
In other words, this past Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were the three hottest days on record.
But let’s face facts: extreme temperatures are no longer a one day, one week or one month phenomenon.
If there is 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 -- wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world. That’s 122 degrees Fahrenheit. And halfway to boiling.
This year, we’ve seen a deadly heatwave hit the Sahel – with spiking hospitalisations and deaths.
And broken temperature records across the United States – reportedly placing 120 million people under heat advisory warnings.
Scorching conditions have killed 1,300 pilgrims during Haj;
Shut down tourist attractions in Europe’s sweatbox cities;
And closed schools across Asia and Africa – impacting more than 80 million children.
Of course, summer heat is as old as the hills.
But the World Meteorological Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and others have documented a rapid rise in the scale, intensity, frequency and duration of extreme-heat events.
And it comes against a background of ever-rising temperatures – with June officially the 13th consecutive month to break global temperature records.
Extreme heat is increasingly 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, that’s about 30 times more than tropical cyclones.
We know what is driving it: fossil fuel-charged, human-induced climate change.
And we know it’s going to get worse.
Extreme heat is the new abnormal.
But the good news is we can save lives and limit its impact.
Today, we are launching a global call to action with four areas of focus.
First, caring for the most vulnerable.
Crippling heat is everywhere – but it doesn’t affect everyone equally.
Those most at risk when the mercury soars include the urban poor. Pregnant women. People with disabilities. Older people. The very young, the sick, the displaced, and the impoverished – who often live in substandard housing without access to cooling.
For example, heat-related deaths for people over 65 years of age increased around 85 percent in 20 years.
UNICEF tells us that almost 25 per cent of all children today are exposed to frequent heatwaves. By 2050, that could rise to virtually 100 per cent.
And the number of urban poor living in extreme heat could rise 700 per cent.
Extreme heat amplifies inequality, inflames food insecurity, and pushes people further into poverty.
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.
The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that, together, these measures could protect 3.5 billion people by 2050, while slashing emissions and saving consumers $1 trillion a year.
It’s also vital to boost protection for the most vulnerable – in line with the Early Warning Systems for All initiative.
The World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization estimate that scaling-up heat health-warning systems in 57 countries alone could save almost 100,000 lives a year.
Finance to help safeguard communities from climate chaos is essential. And I urge developed countries to honour their promises, and show how they will close the gaping adaptation finance gap.
Second, we must step up protections for workers.
A new report from the International Labour Organization – being released today – warns that over 70 per cent of the global workforce – 2.4 billion people – are now at high risk of extreme heat.
In Asia and the Pacific, three in four workers are now exposed to extreme heat. More than eight out of ten in Arab States, more than nine out of ten in Africa.
Meanwhile, the Europe and Central Asia region has the most rapidly increasing workforce exposure to excessive heat.
And the Americas is seeing the most rapidly increasing heat-related occupational injuries.
All of this is having a profound impact on people and the economy.
Excessive heat is the cause of almost 23 million workplace injuries worldwide.
And as daily temperatures rise above 34°C – or 93.2°F – labour productivity drops by 50%.
Heat stress at work is projected to cost the global economy $2.4 trillion by 2030. Up from $280 billion in the mid-1990s.
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.
Third, we must massively boost the resilience of economies and societies using data and science.
Extreme heat impacts almost every area:
Infrastructure buckles, crops fail, and pressure piles on water supplies, health systems and electricity grids.
Cities are a particular worry – they are heating up at twice the global average.
Countries, cities, and sectors need comprehensive, tailored Heat Action Plans, based on the best science and data.
And we need a concerted effort to heatproof economies, critical sectors, and the built environment.
Finally, I want to make one over-arching point.
Today, our focus is on the impact of extreme heat. But let’s not forget that there are many other devastating symptoms of the climate crisis: Ever-more fierce hurricanes. Floods.
Droughts. Wildfires. Rising sea levels. The list goes on.
To tackle all these symptoms, we need to fight the disease.
The disease is the madness of incinerating our only home.
The disease is the addiction to fossil fuels.
The disease is climate inaction.
Leaders across the board must wake up and step up.
That means governments – especially G20 countries – as well as the private sector, cities and regions.
They must act as though our future depends on it – because it does.
All countries must deliver by next year nationally determined contributions – or national climate action plans – aligned to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The International Energy Agency has shown that fossil fuel expansion and new coal plants are inconsistent with meeting that limit.
I must call out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world’s wealthiest countries. In signing such a surge of new oil and gas licenses, they are signing away our future.
The leadership of those with the greatest capabilities and capacities is essential.
Countries must phase-out fossil fuels – fast and fairly.
They must end new coal projects.
The G20 must shift fossil fuel subsidies to renewables and support vulnerable countries and communities.
And national climate action plans must show how each country will contribute to the global goals agreed at COP28 to triple the world’s renewables capacity, and end deforestation – by 2030.
They must also cut global consumption and production of fossil fuels by thirty percent in the same timeframe.
And we need similar 1.5-aligned transition plans from business, the financial sector, cities and regions – following the recommendations of my High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero.
Climate action also requires finance action.
That includes countries coming together for a strong finance outcome from COP29; progress on innovative sources of finance; drastically boosting the lending capacity of multilateral development banks to help developing countries tackle the climate crisis; and wealthier countries making good on all their climate finance commitments.
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.
Thank you.
References
Copernicus Programme, 23 July 2024 (updated), New record daily global average temperature reached in July 2024 https://climate.copernicus.eu/new-record-daily-global-average-temperature-reached-july-2024
See also Climate Pulse tool: https://pulse.climate.copernicus.eu/
UN Secretary General, 25 July 2024, 25 July 2024, Secretary-General's press conference - on Extreme Heat https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounter/2024-07-25/secretary-generals-press-conference-extreme-heat
Manal Azzi, Andreas Flouris, Halshka Graczyk, Balint Nafradi, and Natasha Scott, eds., 25 July 2024, Heat at work: Implications for safety and health, International Labor Organisation, https://www.ilo.org/publications/heat-work-implications-safety-and-health
The Hon Madeleine King MP, Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia, 23 July 2024, Media Release, Finalisation of offshore exploration rounds https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/king/media-releases/finalisation-offshore-exploration-rounds
Climate Action Merribek, 24 July 2024, Resources Minister approves new offshore oil and gas exploration and 10 exploration permits for carbon dumping https://climateactionmerribek.org/2024/07/24/resources-minister-approves-new-offshore-oil-and-gas-exploration-and-10-exploration-permits-for-carbon-dumping/
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