UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to take action to address the impact of “crippling heat,” as the world experiences record temperatures that are affecting vulnerable communities.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Guterres said billions of people around the world were experiencing an “epidemic of extreme heat” fueled by climate change.
“Extreme heat is tearing apart economies, widening inequalities, undermining the Sustainable Development Goals and killing people,” the UN secretary-general said.
“We know what’s causing it: climate change driven by fossil fuels and human activity. And we know it’s going to get worse; extreme heat is the new abnormal.”
Guterres’ warning came a day after the European Union’s climate watchdog said the world had experienced its hottest day on record this week.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said Wednesday the global average surface temperature on July 22 rose to 17.15 degrees Celsius (62.9 degrees Fahrenheit) — or 0.06 degrees Celsius higher than the record set just a day earlier.
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Every month since June 2023 has now been recorded as the planet’s warmest month since records began in 1940, compared to the same month in previous years, according to C3S.
The record high temperature was last recorded for four consecutive days in early July 2023. Previously, the hottest day was in August 2016.
Millions of people around the world have experienced record temperatures in recent weeks, including in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, where the crisis is exacerbating social inequalities.
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More than 70% of the global workforce – some 2.4 billion people – are now at high risk from extreme heat, according to a report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) published Thursday.
In Africa, nearly 93% of the workforce is exposed to excessive heat, and 84% of the workforce in Arab countries, the report found.
Excessive heat has been linked to nearly 23 million workplace injuries worldwide, and approximately 19,000 deaths annually.
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Experts have also warned that as the impacts of climate change intensify, weather patterns are becoming more extreme with droughts, superstorms, floods and wildfires affecting large parts of the world.
During a press conference Thursday, Guterres said countries must reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, which are worsening the climate crisis.
“Leaders at all levels must stand up and act – and that means governments, especially the G20 countries,” the UN chief said.
“Leadership from those with the greatest ability and capacity is essential. Countries must phase out fossil fuels quickly and fairly.” (Al Jazeera/Z-3)
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