Humanity, the victim of a self-inflicted “epidemic of extreme heat”, must rise to the challenge, the UN secretary-general said today Antonio Guterrescalling for concrete measures to be taken to save lives.

According to the European network CopernicusJuly 21, 22 and 23 were the three hottest days on record globally, with July 22 holding the all-time record with an average temperature of 17.16°C, according to the updated data.

“But let’s face reality: extreme temperatures are no longer a phenomenon of a day, a week or a month. If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it is that we are getting warmer,” Antonio Guterres said, introducing the “his call for action against extreme heat”.

“Billions of people are facing an epidemic of extreme heat, being baked by increasingly deadly heat waves, with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius,” he added, mainly recalling the deaths of more than 1,000 pilgrims during the great Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in June.

So, “the world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.”

While 2023 was the hottest year on record and 2024 may break a new record, temperatures well above 40°C are becoming more common.

Within a year, the 50°C mark has already been exceeded in at least 10 places, from Death Valley in the United States (53.9°C on 7 July 2024) to Agadir in Morocco, China and India.

And this intense heat, which is often less visible than other devastating effects of climate change, such as storms or floods, is nevertheless more deadly.

This “invisible killer” is therefore responsible for almost 489,000 deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, compared to 16,000 deaths annually from cyclones, according to the “call to action” presented by Guterres.

“Freezing temperatures that also have financial implications”

According to an International Labor Organization report released today, more than 70% of workers were exposed to extreme heat in 2020, 8.8% more than in 2000.

And worker productivity was reduced by the heat (by 50% to 34°C), equivalent to 80 million full-time jobs that could be lost by 2030, according to the UN.

But “the good news is that we can save lives and limit the impact,” Guterres insisted.

The head of the UN primarily calls for the protection of the “most vulnerable”, children, the elderly, but also the poorest and the inhabitants of urban centers who are baked even more in the concrete.

In this context, early warning systems should include extreme heat, alerting populations to the onset of heatwaves and informing them of the precautions to take.

And air conditioning systems, which are often beyond the reach of the poorest, need to be reviewed.

If the current trend continues, by 2050, refrigeration, air conditioning equipment is expected to nearly triple.

The secretary-general therefore recommends investing in a “triple strategy”, including passive cooling (use of nature, architectural design, smart buildings, instead of traditional air conditioning), improving the energy efficiency of buildings and cooling facilities, and abandoning refrigerant gases that contribute to global warming).

It also calls for better protection of workers, in all sectors and regions, according to a human rights-based approach. So he advocates for their right to walk off the job if the temperatures are too dangerous.

And “let’s not forget that there are many other devastating symptoms of the climate crisis: stronger hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, rising sea levels, and the list goes on.”

“To fight these symptoms, we have to fight the disease,” said Guterres, who continues to call for more action to hopefully limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

“Disease is the madness of setting fire to our only home. Madness is dependence on fossil fuels. Disease is climate inaction.”

“Governments must therefore act immediately”, he stressed.