From New Jersey to New Delhi: The Unequal Impact of Extreme Heat on Workers
July 9, 2025
In the past few weeks, extreme heatwaves have scorched countries around the world. In parts of the US, the UK, and southern Europe, new temperature records were set, heat-related deaths rose, and wildfires intensified. The India-Pakistan heatwave in April of this year saw temperatures soaring above 40°C (104°F). In parts of India, where 2024 was their hottest year on record with temperatures reaching 50°C (122°F), only 10% of households have access to air conditioning.
Later this summer, our Center will send a delegation to India to examine the impact of rising temperatures on the health, safety, and productivity of garment workers. We also will explore measures that global brands and suppliers can take to better protect workers on the frontlines of climate change.
A Global Surge in Heatwaves
Though the extreme temperatures on the Asian Subcontinent pose some of the most daunting challenges, the effects of a warming planet have extended more broadly. For example, Spain and England recorded their hottest June on record, and temperatures in parts of Spain and Portugal reached new highs of over 46°C (115°F). France, Turkey, Greece, and Italy have been battling wildfires fueled by high temperatures, drought, and strong winds. Early analysis from Imperial College London found that between June 23 and July 2, 2025, approximately 1,500 heat-related deaths across 12 European cities were attributable to human-induced climate change.
In the US, a week of sweltering temperatures saw high-schoolers fainting in New Jersey, partial subway suspensions in New York City, and a K-pop concert being cut short in Washington, D.C. Nearly 130 million Americans were under extreme heat warnings on June 26 and 50 cities across the Eastern US broke temperature records on June 24.
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change and that the intensity of extreme heat will only increase over time.
A new study has found that rural communities in the US are just as vulnerable to extreme heat as urban communities. Public discourse around heatwaves often focuses on the urban heat island effect, which refers to the intensified heat in cities caused by factors such as dense infrastructure, air pollution, and limited green space. However, the study highlights that rural populations face significant risks too, driven by factors such as an older median age, higher rates of chronic health conditions, aging infrastructure, more frequent power outages, a lack of health infrastructure and a greater share of income spent on electricity due to lower wages. Despite lower ambient temperatures, these vulnerabilities have led to 54% of rural zip codes being classified as highly susceptible to extreme heat – only slightly below the 59% recorded for urban ZIP codes.
US Workers on the Frontlines of Extreme Heat
Extreme heat poses serious risks to vulnerable workers across the US. Last August, at least nine workers, aged 19 to 71, died from heat-related causes while performing physically demanding jobs such as construction, landscaping, cutting grass and unloading trucks. These occupations often lack access to adequate cooling or rest areas.
UPS, the global shipping company, has recently come under scrutiny for failing to install air conditioning in its delivery trucks. In 2023, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union representing 350,000 UPS drivers and warehouse workers, negotiated a contract with UPS to provide certain heat protections for their employees, including the right to extended breaks when they feel overheated and a new fleet of 28,000 air-conditioned trucks by 2028. As of last summer, CNN reported that UPS hadn’t bought any new air-conditioned trucks.
On July 2, an informal public hearing concluded on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. The rule, originally proposed under the Biden administration, would require employers to provide water and rest breaks once temperatures cross certain thresholds, aiming to reduce heat-related illness and death. While seven states — including Colorado, which mandates a 10-minute break every two hours for farm workers when temperatures exceed 95°F (35°C) — have already adopted their own workplace heat safety regulations, others are moving in the opposite direction. Florida and Texas have passed laws blocking local governments from setting their own heat safety protections. David Michaels, former assistant secretary of labor under the Obama administration, has warned that OSHA may ultimately adopt a watered-down version of the rule, potentially undermining stronger state-level protections. As temperatures climb, failing to implement strong federal protections could expose even more workers to preventable heat-related illness and injury.
A Global Workforce at Risk from Extreme Heat
As Americans and Europeans struggle with increasingly extreme temperatures, workers in other parts of the world have come to expect such conditions as routine annual events. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 70% of the global working population, 2.41 billion people, are likely to be exposed to extreme heat at some point during their work. The highest exposure rates are found in Africa (92.9%), the Arab States (83.6%), and Asia and the Pacific (74.7%).
The ILO estimates that this exposure results in an average of 22.85 million non-fatal injuries and nearly 19,000 deaths annually. When wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) reaches 32°C (89.6°F), heat stress, the leading cause of weather related deaths, becomes dangerous leading to heatstroke, kidney damage, and cardiovascular strain. High heat also impairs cognitive function, increasing the risk of workplace accidents. In 2023 alone, an estimated 512 billion potential working hours were lost due to extreme heat, nearly 50% more than the 1990s average.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Extreme heat is already endangering workers’ health and safety — and immediate action is needed. At the national level, this means introducing tighter occupational health and safety standards that mandate protections such as rest and hydration breaks, based on scientifically informed and context-specific WBGT thresholds. Globally, multinational companies must move beyond climate mitigation strategies, such as emissions reduction targets, and take shared responsibility for adaptation measures that protect workers from extreme heat. This includes helping to finance and implement appropriate cooling solutions. In the face of climate breakdown, adaptation is not optional: it is a critical part of protecting workers and sustaining global supply chains.
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