The climate wake-up call

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The record-breaking heatwaves we experienced in the summer of 2022 are a stark warning of the climate crisis we are facing, according to scientists

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

Building heat resilience in business

Many businesses closed their doors during the hot weather this summer, and while many may think installing air conditioning units might be the solution, the energy they use is not. Businesses can turn to more sustainable solutions.

◆ Instal cool and green roofs ◆ Plant trees to provide shade ◆ Instal reflective shields on windows ◆ Place insulation material around hot pipes ◆ Provide ‘rest’ areas and extra breaks for staff ◆ Rejig the office layout to avoid sun patches ◆ Introduce a job rotation schedule ◆ Relax the dress code

Green Piece

Summer of UK heatwaves must be a climate wake-up call

Temperatures soared globally in 2022, but here in the UK, we reached serious record-breaking extremes. And, according to a rapid analysis from a group of internationally renowned scientists at World Weather Attribution, this wouldn’t have happened without human-caused climate damage.

“We have broken an all-time high in the UK,” said World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas. “Heatwaves will happen more frequently because of climate change. The connection has been clearly demonstrated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.”

People in Leicestershire knew the struggle of the heatwave back in July. Meanwhile, to the North-East, the bordering county of Lincolnshire reached a staggering 40.3°C, breaching the 40°C mark for the first time ever and breaking the previous record of 38.7°C set in 2019, according to the UK’s Met Office.

There were 46 local recording stations which broke records across the country. It wasn’t only the extreme highs that were breaking records though. Minimum temperatures were also extremely high, with 25.8°C being recorded in Kenley in Surrey, breaking the previous record from 1990 by 1.9°C.

The extreme temperatures came in two waves over the summer and in their wake, created drought, wildfires, and stress on health systems.

“In the future, this kind of heatwaves are going to be normal,” Petteri added. “We will see stronger extremes. We have pumped so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the negative trend will continue for decades. We haven’t been able to reduce our emissions globally.”

On the hazards that come with extreme heat, the scientist commented: “Heatwaves during the height of summer pose a substantial risk to human health and are potentially lethal. This risk is aggravated by climate change, but also by other factors such as an ageing population, urbanisation, changing social structures, and levels of preparedness.”

“The full impact is only known after a few weeks, when the mortality figures have been analysed. Effective heat emergency plans, together with accurate weather forecasts such as those issued before this heatwave, reduce impacts and are becoming even more important in light of the rising risks.”

Health systems are also pushed to new challenges by heatwaves. Maria Neira, Director of Environment and Health at World Health Organisation (WHO). “When a heatwave goes along with high levels of pollution, it exacerbates respiratory, cardiovascular diseases and conditions, especially in large urban spaces that are not adapted to cope with these high temperatures.

“We have been alerting for a long time that climate change is severely affecting human health and therefore taking measures to reach the zero carbon and accelerating the transition to clean renewable sources of energy will be extremely important.”

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