Prices on a warming planet – the inflationary effects of climate change (United Nations)
EPA Releases Updated Climate Indicators Report Showing How Climate Change is Impacting People’s Health and the Environment (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Workers and Communities from Extreme Weather (The White House)
195 Days, 195 Countries, 365 Days: The Global Movement Revolutionizing Climate Action (Energy Central)
Why climate change makes a hurricane like Beryl more dangerous (NPR Illinois)
China warns of hotter, longer heatwaves as climate change intensifies (Reuters)
Brazil’s extreme weather is creating the likelihood of climate change refugees (Public Radio Tulsa)
Labour will take global lead on climate action, Ed Miliband vows (The Guardian)
Average months now feel cold thanks to climate change (The Conversation)
How hurricanes cost the maritime industry (Property Casualty 360)
With Sustainable Development Goals severely off track, UN Forum to boost global efforts ahead of Summit of the Future (United Nations)
Regulations are fueling the sustainability agenda, experts say (Green Biz)
Investors eye energy transition opportunities in the wake of Labour landslide (Net Zero Investor)
Why the Labour Government’s Pathbreaking New Clean Energy Company Could Be A Bellwether for the Energy Transition (Energy Policy)
Red Sea attacks still taking a toll on global chemical shipping industry (Freight Waves)
How CSR and ESG differ and why they’re crucial for business success (Fintech)
Amazon’s Own Carbon Offset Standard Sparks Concerns Over Market Confusion (Carbon Credits)
Carbon Capture is No Silver Bullet, But Holds Opportunities for Shipping (Maritime Executive)
Nuclear propulsion could transform maritime with more reliable, emissions-free and longer-lived ships (Lloyd’s Register’s)
The energy transition is setting ports on a greener route (Infrastructure Investor)
There Are Now 800 Carbon Removal Startups. How Many Is Too Many? (Bloomberg)
Green finance knowledge can accelerate progress toward decarbonization goals (US Green Building Council)
The greening of planes, trains and automobiles (Knowable Magazine)
The obvious idea that slashes shipping’s climate impact (BBC)
Americas: NGOs’ Optimistic’ About Green Methanol Being Used By Alaskan Cruise Ships (Bunker Spot)
Ports of LA, Long Beach Invest $25M in Charging for Electric Trucks (Supply Chain Brain)
Will Google & BlackRock Deal Boost APAC Energy Transition? (Sustainability Mag)
Decarbonization Revolution: Technology As The Catalyst For Change In A Shifting Legal Landscape (Forbes)
This week, the most relevant news worldwide was about how climate change is impacting people’s health and the environment.
Extreme temperatures have been linked to cardiovascular deaths, chronic kidney disease mortality and respiratory failure. Heat can put undue stress on organs. The heart pumps faster to get blood flow to the skin, and the kidneys work harder to preserve the body’s water. Those with preexisting conditions are more at risk in hot weather.
Worldwide, 2023 was the warmest year on record, 2016 was the second warmest, and 2014–2023 was the warmest decade on record since thermometer-based observations began. According to NOAA’s latest projections, there is a 61% chance that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the warmest year on record.
In the U.S., sweltering summer days have become more common over the last few decades, and sweltering summer nights have increased even faster, indicating less “cooling off” at night.
From 1992 to 2022, 986 workers across all industry sectors in the United States died from exposure to heat, of which the construction sector accounted for about 34 percent of all occupational heat-related deaths. During this time frame, 334 construction workers died due to heat exposure on the job.
In response to rising temperatures, severe weather events, and the growing risks associated with climate change, on July 2, 2024, the United States Government announced several new initiatives aimed at protecting workers and communities from the increasing impacts of extreme weather.
In southeast Asia, temperatures have reached 100 to 120 degrees from India to the Philippines. At the same time, the 90s have swelled northward into Japan, closing schools, taxing power grids and increasing heat-related illnesses and deaths.
In China, more than 66,000 people in the county have been affected by the extreme weather. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for emergency workers to make every effort to respond to disaster situations and do a good job of relief and rescue work to combat flooding and drought.
Studies indicate that over one-third of heat-related deaths during the warm season can already be attributed to human-induced climate change. This proportion varies by region, with higher percentages in areas like Western Asia and Southeast Asia compared to temperate regions like Europe and North America.
Projections for future temperature-related mortality are highly uncertain and depend on various factors, including the extent of climate change and societies’ ability to adapt. Heat-related deaths are expected to rise significantly in tropical and subtropical regions under a scenario that predicts around 2°C of warming by mid-century. In contrast, some temperate regions may see a decrease in overall temperature-related deaths due to fewer cold-related fatalities.
The impact of future temperature changes on mortality will vary widely across different regions. For instance, countries like Nigeria and Bangladesh are expected to substantially increase heat-related deaths, while countries like the UK, Sweden, and Canada may experience reductions due to milder winters.
Changes in heat-related mortality underscore profound inequalities between those contributing most to climate change and those suffering its worst impacts. In developed countries, especially in Europe and North America, fewer people are expected to die as a result of climate change. Conversely, poorer countries will likely see an increase in heat-related deaths. This trend highlights the stark inequality of climate change.
When plotting projected changes in death rates for 2050 against current GDP per capita, forecasts show that death rates are expected to rise in many of the poorest countries (on the left side of the graph) and fall in many wealthy countries (on the right side).
This disparity is also evident when projections are made for death rates against carbon (CO2) emissions per capita. In the chart below, the top right shows that death rates are expected to increase in most oil-producing states with high carbon footprints per person. Aside from these countries, there is a strong inverse relationship between emissions and projected mortality.
Death rates are expected to rise in countries with minimal carbon footprints—often less than a few tonnes per person—while potentially decreasing in countries with high emissions. This highlights how the burden of climate change will fall most heavily on those who have contributed the least to the problem.
While reducing carbon emissions is crucial to mitigating climate change, ensuring that populations can adapt to increasing temperatures is equally important. Improving health infrastructure, enhancing building designs, and increasing access to cooling technologies can help reduce heat-related mortality.
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Beatriz Canamary is a consultant in Sustainable and Resilient Business, Doctor and Professor in Business, Civil Engineer, specialized in Mergers and Acquisitions from the Harvard Business School, and mom of triplets. Today she is dedicated to the effective application of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Multinationals.
She is an ESG enthusiast and makes it possible to carry out sustainable projects, such as energy transition and net-zero carbon emissions. She has +15 years of expertise in large infrastructure projects.
Member of the World Economic Forum, Academy of International Business and Academy of Economics and Finance.
