Temperature

Andreas Flouris (August 21-2025)

Academic | Climate & Health | Lead Author WHO, ILO, WMO | TIME 100Next | Global Climate & Health Governance

The last time WHO published guidance on workplace heat stress was 1969. The world has changed. The heat has too.

Back then, the global workforce was smaller, the climate more stable, and the risks of extreme heat far less visible.

Today, billions of workers - from construction crews to agricultural and manufacturing labourers - face 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀. Climate change has made heat stress a defining workplace hazard of our time.

On 𝟮𝟮 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲, the 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗪𝗛𝗢) and the 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗪𝗠𝗢) will release a historic joint report on 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 - the first update in over half a century. I had the honour to serve as its co-Editor.

Drawing on five decades of research and evidence, this report lays out a clear path for governments, employers, and health authorities to mitigate the growing risks of extreme heat on working populations. The report shows:

• How extreme heat is already costing 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 and 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆.

• Why vulnerable groups - including outdoor workers, migrants, and low-income populations - bear the heaviest burden.

• What governments, employers & workers can do now: 𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, and 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀.

Heat stress is not just a health issue. It is an economic and social justice issue. Protecting workers means protecting food systems, infrastructure, and economies themselves.