THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
--
REMARKS TO THE PRESS ON EXTREME HEAT
New York, 25 July 2024
It’s summertime. But the living is no longer easy.
This has been a week of unprecedented heat. First, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service declared Sunday July 21st as the hottest day on record. Then on Monday July 22nd, the mercury climbed even higher.
And now we have just received preliminary data indicating that Tuesday July 23rd was in the same range.
In other words, this past Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were the three hottest days on record.
But let’s face facts: extreme temperatures are no longer a one day, one week or one month phenomenon.
If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it’s that we’re all increasingly feeling the heat.
Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere.
Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic -- wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world. That’s 122 degrees Fahrenheit. And halfway to boiling.
This year, we’ve seen a deadly heatwave hit the Sahel – with spiking hospitalisations and deaths.
And broken temperature records across the United States – reportedly placing 120 million people under heat advisory warnings.
Scorching conditions have killed 1,300 pilgrims during Haj;
Shut down tourist attractions in Europe’s sweatbox cities;
And closed schools across Asia and Africa – impacting more than 80 million children.
Of course, summer heat is as old as the hills.
But the World Meteorological Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and others have documented a rapid rise in the scale, intensity, frequency and duration of extreme-heat events.
And it comes against a background of ever-rising temperatures – with June officially the 13th consecutive month to break global temperature records.
Extreme heat is increasingly tearing through economies, widening inequalities, undermining the Sustainable Development Goals and killing people.
Heat is estimated to kill almost half a million people a year, that’s about 30 times more than tropical cyclones.
We know what is driving it: fossil fuel-charged, human-induced climate change.
And we know it’s going to get worse.
Extreme heat is the new abnormal.
But the good news is that there are solutions. The good news is that we can save lives and limit its impact.
So today, we are launching a global call to action with four areas of focus.
First, caring for the most vulnerable.
Crippling heat is everywhere – but it doesn’t affect everyone equally.
Those most at risk when the mercury soars include the urban poor. Pregnant women. People with disabilities. Older people. The very young, the sick, the displaced, and the impoverished – who often live in substandard housing without access to cooling.
For example, heat-related deaths for people over 65 years of age increased around 85 percent in 20 years.
UNICEF tells us that almost 25 per cent of all children today are exposed to frequent heatwaves. By 2050, that could rise to virtually 100 per cent.
And the number of urban poor living in extreme heat could rise 700 per cent.
Extreme heat amplifies inequality, inflames food insecurity, and pushes people further into poverty.
We must respond by massively increasing access to low-carbon cooling; expanding passive cooling – such as natural solutions and urban design; and cleaning up cooling technologies while boosting their efficiency.
The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that, together, these measures could protect 3.5 billion people by 2050, while slashing emissions and saving consumers $1 trillion a year.
It’s also vital to boost protection for the most vulnerable – in line with the Early Warning Systems for All initiative.
The World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization estimate that scaling-up heat health-warning systems in 57 countries alone could save almost 100,000 lives a year.
Finance to help safeguard communities from climate chaos is essential. And I urge developed countries to honour their promises, and show how they will close the gaping adaptation finance gap.
Second, we must step up protections for workers.
A new report from the International Labour Organization – being released today – warns that over 70 per cent of the global workforce – 2.4 billion people – are now at high risk of extreme heat.
In Asia and the Pacific, three in four workers are now exposed to extreme heat. More than eight out of ten in Arab States, more than nine out of ten in Africa.
Meanwhile, the Europe and Central Asia region has the most rapidly increasing workforce exposure to excessive heat.
And the Americas are seeing the most rapidly increasing heat-related occupational injuries.
All of this is having a profound impact on people and the economy.
Excessive heat is the cause of almost 23 million workplace injuries worldwide.
And as daily temperatures rise above 34°C – or 93.2°F – labour productivity drops by 50%.
Heat stress at work is projected to cost the global economy $2.4 trillion by 2030. Up from $280 billion in the mid-1990s.
We need measures to protect workers, grounded in human rights.
And we must ensure that laws and regulations reflect the reality of extreme heat today – and are enforced.
Third, we must massively boost the resilience of economies and societies using data and science.
Extreme heat impacts almost every area:
Infrastructure buckles, crops fail, and pressure piles on water supplies, health systems and electricity grids.
Cities are a particular worry – they are heating up at twice the global average.
Countries, cities, and sectors need comprehensive, tailored Heat Action Plans, based on the best science and data.
And we need a concerted effort to heatproof economies, critical sectors, and the built environment.
Finally, I want to make one over-arching point.
Today, our focus is on the impact of extreme heat. But let’s not forget that there are many other devastating symptoms of the climate crisis: Ever-more fierce hurricanes. Floods. Droughts. Wildfires. Rising sea levels. The list goes on.
To tackle all these symptoms, we need to fight the disease.
The disease is the madness of incinerating our only home.
The disease is the addiction to fossil fuels.
The disease is climate inaction.
Leaders across the board must wake up and step up.
That means governments – especially G20 countries – as well as the private sector, cities and regions, acting as though our future depends on it – because it does.
All countries must deliver by next year nationally determined contributions – or national climate action plans – aligned to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The International Energy Agency has shown that fossil fuel expansion and new coal plants are inconsistent with meeting that limit.
I must call out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world’s wealthiest countries. In signing such a surge of new oil and gas licenses, they are signing away our future.
The leadership of those with the greatest capabilities and capacities is essential.
Countries must phase-out fossil fuels – fast and fairly.
They must end new coal projects.
The G20 must shift fossil fuel subsidies to renewables and to the support of vulnerable countries and communities.
And national climate action plans must show how each country will contribute to the global goals agreed at COP28 to triple the world’s renewables capacity, and end deforestation by 2030.
They must also cut global consumption and production of fossil fuels by thirty percent in the same timeframe.
And we need similar 1.5-aligned transition plans from business, the financial sector, cities and regions – following the recommendations of my High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero.
Climate action also requires finance action.
That includes countries coming together for a strong finance outcome from COP29; progress on innovative sources of finance; drastically boosting the lending capacity of multilateral development banks to help developing countries tackle the climate crisis; and wealthier countries making good on all their climate finance commitments.
The message is clear: the heat is on.
Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet.
The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.
I thank you.
***
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE U.N. SYSTEM
THURSDAY, 25 JULY 2024
SECRETARY-GENERAL/OLYMPICS
This morning, the Secretary-General addressed, in a pre-recorded video message, the Sport for Sustainable Development summit, which is taking place in Paris.
On the eve of the Paris Olympic Games, the Secretary-General said that we are celebrating sport as a vehicle for change and sustainable development.
Sport has a unique power to transform, to reduce inequalities and promote inclusion for all, he added.
Mr. Guterres called on those involved in the world of sport to set an example by placing the Sustainable Development Goals at the heart of its activities; by investing in education, economic and social inclusion programmes, particularly in developing countries, and also by promoting gender equality, energy efficiency and respect for our planet.
Later today, the Secretary-General will travel to France, where he will attend tomorrow’s opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee and the Government of France.
In a video message that will air during the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General will, in the spirit of the Olympic Truce, call on everyone to lay down their arms, to build bridges, foster solidarity and strive for the ultimate goal: peace for all.
While in Paris on Friday, the Secretary-General will meet with the head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and he will also hold several other bilateral meetings.
The Secretary-General will leave Paris on Saturday.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says persistent fuel shortages – and the inability to store, allocate or deliver it adequately and in safety – continue to threaten the functioning of vital services across Gaza.
Since October 2023, the Israeli authorities have cut off their 120 megawatt feeder lines' supply for Gaza and forced the shutdown of the local power plant, which produced an additional 70 megawatts.
Fuel is now critically needed to run the back-up generators that power life-saving medical infrastructure and equipment, as well as water production facilities. It is also necessary to keep ambulances, trucks and other vehicles running.
Since the beginning of this month, the UN and our partners have managed to bring about 2.5 million litres of fuel into Gaza.
This is about 100,000 litres per day, or about a quarter of the 400,000 litres required for the most basic humanitarian operations each day.
The Israeli authorities continue to tightly control allocations of incoming fuel, thereby limiting humanitarian operations, especially by local partners.
The UN and humanitarian partners continue to advocate for Israel to permit the allocation of fuel to all key humanitarian organizations, approve additional fuel storage spaces inside Gaza, and allow the entry of fuel from multiple land crossings – including Erez West, which would provide direct access to the north.
ETHIOPIA
The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the loss of more than 200 lives in the south of Ethiopia following landslides triggered by heavy rains.
He extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Ethiopia.
The United Nations and its partners are working closely with the Government, evaluating the humanitarian situation to determine the extent of the damage and assess the humanitarian needs of the affected population. UN agencies are dispatching food, nutrition, health and other critical supplies to help people affected by the landslides.
SECURIY COUNCIL
This morning, the Security Council held a meeting on Threats to international peace and security. Briefing Council members, Adedeji Ebo, the Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noted that since the last briefing to the Security Council on this topic on 14 June 2024, the provision of military assistance and transfers of arms and ammunition to the armed forces of Ukraine has continued in the context of the full-scale invasion of that country, launched by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022, in violation of the UN Charter and international law.
Mr. Ebo said that reports related to the use of cluster munitions and widespread contamination with mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine are worrying. He warned that mines and explosive ordnance directly threaten civilians caught up in armed conflicts around the world, including in Ukraine.
Mr. Ebo added that the continued and intensified attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure are deeply concerning. He stressed that all parties to any armed conflict have an obligation to protect civilians and to ensure compliance with applicable international law, particularly international humanitarian law.
SHIPWRECKS
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today said that last night a boat with 45 refugees and migrants capsized off Ta'iz, in Yemen, due to strong winds and overloading. Only four survivors were found.
UNHCR notes that this highlights the perilous journeys between Yemen and Africa. The UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working with partners to assist survivors and address protection needs.
Also today, IOM said that a tragic accident at sea has resulted in a significant number of victims, deaths, and missing migrants in Mauritania. IOM said that approximately 300 people boarded a pirogue in The Gambia and spent seven days at sea before the boat capsized near Nouakchott on 22 July. 120 people were rescued by Mauritanian Coast Guards, while efforts continue to locate the missing individuals.
The International Organization for Migration noted that 15 people were confirmed dead upon arrival. IOM immediately intervened to provide direct and essential assistance to the survivors.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Our peacekeeping colleagues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) report that they dispatched a patrol to protect civilians in Risasi (northeast of Bunia) yesterday after members of the CODECO armed group fired gunshots at mine workers in the area. No casualties were reported.
Earlier in the week, the Mission assisted local authorities in engaging community leaders and facilitating the release of a displaced person abducted by CODECO from the Roe site for displaced people, southeast of Djugu. The victim received first aid at a MONUSCO base and was subsequently reunited with family.
UN peacekeepers continue to monitor the situation.
ECOSOC
Ambassador Bob Rae of Canada was elected this morning as the new President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2025 Session. Ambassador Rae will brief UN correspondents on his priorities on Friday after the Noon Briefing.
DROWNING PREVENTION DAY
Today is World Drowning Prevention Day. Every year, an estimated 236,000 people drown, making drowning a major public health problem worldwide. Drowning is one of the leading causes of death globally for children and young people aged 1-24 years.
