Earth Today | Heat sucks productivity

WITH RISING global temperatures a clear and present danger to labour productivity, the economic benefits of avoided warming have been highlighted in a recent publication from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

According to the global economic assessment of integrated climate and clean air report, outdoor workers who spend additional time and effort to manage heat exposure are especially vulnerable to reduced productivity from increased heat.

“At extreme temperatures, workers may experience heat stress or heat stroke which require immediate medical attention and can severely limit work capacity,” noted the report, titled ‘Hidden Assets: the economic and health case for climate and clean air action’.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has itself flagged the heat dangers to workers and the productivity risks.

“Temperatures above 24-26 degrees Celsius are associated with reduced labour productivity. At 33-34 degrees Celsius, a worker operating at moderate work intensity loses 50 per cent of his or her work capacity. Exposure to excessive heat levels can lead to heatstroke, sometimes even with a fatal outcome,” revealed the ILO’s 2019 Working on a warmer planet: The impact of heat stress on labour productivity and decent work report.

“Workers in all sectors are affected, but certain occupations are especially at risk because they involve more physical effort and/or take place outdoors. Such jobs are typically found in agriculture, environmental goods and services (natural resource management), construction, refuse collection, emergency repair work, transport, tourism and sports. Industrial workers in indoor settings are also at risk if temperature levels inside factories and workshops are not regulated properly. At high heat levels, performing even basic office and desk tasks becomes difficult as mental fatigue sets in,” it added.

The recent UNEP report indicates that avoided total economic loss is possible with a championed package of 25 integrated solutions. Four of the 25 solutions focus on energy transformation for power generation; energy efficiency standards for industry; energy transformation for households; and electrification of vehicle fleets. The remaining 21 focus on reducing short-lived climate pollutants as methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons as well as key precursors of ai pollutants and various sectors.

The potential for avoiding coastal damage is also greater in 2100 than it is in 2050.

“By the end of the century, full implementation of the 25 integrated solutions could avoid coastal damage equivalent to more than 0.2 per cent of GDP for the Middle East, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. Regions with long but sparsely populated coastlines, such as Russian Federation, face minor damage given low population and capital densities,” it explained.

The integrated solutions, the UNEP report said, also hold pollution benefits, in addition to the climate benefits.

“Total climate and pollution benefits from the 21 clean-air and near-term climate solutions reach the equivalent of 2.5 per cent of global GDP in 2050 and 3.1 per cent in 2100. Even at the end of the century, avoided pollution damage accounts for more than half of the economic benefit,” it noted.

“Until 2030, benefits come from reduction in air pollution, covering health gains from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs and reduced disutility from mortality risk. Climate co-benefits emerge after 2030, reflecting the near-term warming benefits of reduced short-lived climate solutions emissions … . Benefits from these solutions accrue rapidly, while the relative benefits of decarbonisation emerge mainly after 2050,” the report added.

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