UK should set maximum working temperature rules, advisers say

The UK government’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has called for the introduction of maximum temperature limits in workplaces to protect people amid intensifying heatwaves driven by climate change. The advisory body emphasized the urgent need to prioritize the installation of air conditioning and other cooling technologies in schools, hospitals, and other public buildings. The CCC highlighted that extreme heat, alongside droughts and floods, poses a growing threat to the British way of life, affecting everything from sports events to cultural festivals. Baroness Brown, chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, criticized successive governments for inadequate action on climate adaptation, stressing that the UK must urgently protect its people and infrastructure from escalating climate risks. While the CCC did not specify a maximum workplace temperature, it referenced Spain’s legal indoor limits of 27°C for sedentary work and 25°C for light physical labor as a potential model. The committee underscored that the UK’s infrastructure and buildings were designed for a climate that no longer exists, making adaptation measures essential alongside efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The CCC also warned of the dual challenges posed by climate change, including increasingly severe winter flooding and summer droughts. Recent years have seen record-breaking temperatures, with 2022 marking the UK’s first 40°C day, followed by one of the wettest winters in 2023-24, causing widespread flooding. The committee highlighted projections of up to 45% higher peak river flows during heavy rain and significant shortfalls in public water supply, exacerbated by hotter, drier summers and population growth. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains critical to limiting future warming, the CCC stressed that some climate impacts are now unavoidable. The committee’s strongest warnings focus on extreme heat as the greatest health risk facing the UK, urging immediate government action to implement protective measures and adapt public infrastructure to the realities of a rapidly changing climate.