Record temperatures in spring – ‘glorious weather’ or a wake-up call?
Image by dae jeung kim from Pixabay
By Graham Petersen
The last week of May has broken temperature records in the UK. UK records hottest spring day as heatwave hits 35C
This has been overwhelmingly treated as a good news story where we can bask in weather that is ‘better’ than many exotic holiday destinations. It also came a few days after a Climate Change Committee Report ‘A Well-Adapted UK’ that highlighted the threats from heat, flooding and drought. British way of life under threat from heat, flooding and drought – Climate Change Committee
The report is a damning indictment of the failure of successive governments to respond to these threats. In over 500 pages it identifies 14 critical systems that need urgent adaptation for survival from the severe impacts expected over the coming decades. These range from Health through to National Security. In many ways it echoes the National Emergency Briefing campaign that is a call for action based on the science. National Emergency Briefing
The recent election of Reform Party mayors and councils only serves to underline the challenge in responding to these threats. Of course it is not just Reform. Much of the mainstream media and other political parties are largely complicit in trivialising the debate and are terrified of solutions that could threaten vested interests. Nothing has shown this more than the proposal in the report that grabbed most of the headlines – a legal requirement for a maximum working temperature.
Extreme heat – Trade unions like UNISON issued press releases welcoming this. Regulating workplace temperatures and adapting for climate change is long overdue – UNISON National Tory politicians have predictably been on TV saying, ‘it will hurt business’ and it’s not the right way to go.’ Their call for a voluntary approach flies in the face of the evidence that leaving it up to employers to decide whether they want to introduce risk control measures just doesn’t work. Employers have had plenty of opportunity to provide decent standards of protection but have failed in most cases.
Strengths of the CCC Report – One of the 14 critical systems addressed in the report is Chapter 5 Built environment and communities. This is the section of the report covers climate risks in the workplace. Given the importance of the world of work it can be argued that it should have its own section, but even limited references improve on most climate studies which often fail to reference the subject at all. The GJA has spent years commenting on government, local authority and academic reports that fail to mention workers, never mind engagement with trade unions. Chapter 16 Economy and finance is the other part of the report that has general implications for workers. This is the part that contains the recommendation that has made all the headlines – ‘Regulations can protect workers or enable coordination under changing climate conditions. Appropriate regulations may include maximum working temperatures or clear climate resilience standards. Alongside regulating, governments can support businesses by addressing market failures and providing incentives for adaptation.’ The call for a legal maximum is to be welcomed. It is now up to unions and campaigners to lobby over the details of what any future regulations should contain.
Weaknesses of the CCC Report – The CCC report predictably doesn’t contain a single reference to trade unions, and the need to engage with workers. It lacks detail on the range of workers at risk and the risks they are exposed to. For example, the report states ‘The risk of extreme heat in homes and offices is projected to be four times higher in the 2050s, than present day.’ The focus is indoors and fails to address the risk to outdoor workers. It also fails to mention air pollution anywhere in the whole report. This is unfortunate given the clear link between extreme heat and poor air quality.
In terms of standards unions could do a lot worse than those contained in the new International Labour Organisation (ILO) Report – Occupational safety and health in extreme weather events and changing weather patterns. Adopted on 24 April following five days of negotiations with union and employer representatives, the conclusions mark the first global agreement focused on occupational safety and health (OSH) in extreme weather and changing weather patterns. Extreme weather at work: ILO tripartite experts set global OSH measures to protect workers and businesses | Human Resources Online
In the TUC Year of Climate Action unions will need to respond to the recommendations in the CCC Report. A key part of this will be getting behind the campaign for legal changes to make climate risk assessments a requirement for employers.
The GJA will be publishing a blog later this month with a detailed assessment of the CCC Report, and the opportunities for trade unions.
Further comments on the CCC Report
“This report (from the Climate Change Committee) makes clear the major risks that heatwaves, flooding and other extreme weather events pose to schools. There are already problems with overheating in the summer, made worse by the poor ventilation of many ageing school buildings and the growing frequency of extreme temperatures. There is a human cost to working in uncomfortable conditions and ultimately this results in lost learning.
“The school and college estate has been neglected over a long period of time and is not equipped to deal with the challenges posed by climate change. We are still waiting to see the DfE’s refreshed climate and sustainability strategy, and it’s vital that this includes investment to ensure schools and colleges are protected from these growing threats.”
“It’s a stark reminder relying on non-domestic energy sources is sheer folly and leaves the UK brutally exposed to the whims of the market.” GMB
Photo: flickr.com/photos/sasastro/
“Yet another rise in energy bills will be a kick in the teeth for the millions of people already struggling with the cost of living.
“The UK remains locked into heating and powering our homes with expensive, volatile gas, so every global energy shock sends our bills higher. Today’s forecast feels like a bad case of déjà vu that we can’t afford to repeat again, especially for those who haven’t recovered financially since the last time energy prices surged.
“If we’re to break free from our dependence on fossil fuels, then we must rapidly roll out clean, homegrown renewable energy – which is now cheaper than oil and gas – alongside insulating homes. This is how we can permanently lower bills and shield people from another energy price crisis.”
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