Awareness Materials

UNSG Call to Action on Extreme Heat

Published
2024
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UNSG Call to Action Extreme Heat

Extreme heat is deadly and disrupts economies and societies. Modelled estimates show that between 2000 and 2019, approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year, with 45 per cent of these in Asia and 36 per cent in Europe. Heat exposure-related loss in labour capacity resulted in average potential income losses equivalent to US$863 billion in 20222.

In the past 100 days alone, we witnessed heat-related deaths in countries from Saudi Arabia to India, heatstroke warnings across Japan, schools closing in Bangladesh and the Philippines, severe heat warnings issued by governments in Southeast Europe, and new temperature records across the United States.

The reduction of short-lived  climate pollutants is essential. Methane, black  carbon, ozone and Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) 
are responsible for a third of current warming.

Given their shorter lifetime in the atmosphere,  mitigation measures could reduce warming by 0.2°C by 2040. While some of this can be harnessed  via decarbonisation efforts, targeted measures,  which are cost effective, and often at negative 
cost, can help reduce the risk of dangerous tipping 
points. 

Reductions of HFCs in line with the Kigali  Amendment of the Montreal Protocol are expected to avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by 2100.