Just a few weeks after the latest European State of the Climate Report has warned us that 2024 was Europe’s warmest year on record, we see that 2025 is set to break this record again. As we emerge from the hottest May on record, averaging 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels, there is no doubt that Europe is warming at an alarming rate – at twice the global average, to be exact.
However, unlike other climate hazards, the impact of soaring temperatures is often invisible and difficult to perceive to the naked eye. Nevertheless, heat is the leading cause of climate-related deaths in Europe. And beyond its impact on people’s health, it also interferes with economic wellbeing and quality of life.
As temperatures climb higher with every passing year, it slows down our activity, puts our workers at risk, and paralyses our societies. This is putting a mounting pressure on our local economies, with repercussions in our daily lives.
Heat's impact on safe work environments
Extreme heat is a critical health hazard that impacts workers, especially those who work outdoors or in conditions prone to overheating. Construction crews, agricultural workers, outdoor vendors, waste collectors, and street maintenance teams are amongst the most vulnerable.
These essential jobs form the backbone of our cities and towns. When the health of these workers is at risk, so too are the vitality, infrastructure, cleanliness, and character of the cities they sustain.
Protecting outdoor workers is an essential first step to keep the economy and society healthy in times of heat. In 2021, after two months of extreme temperatures reaching up to 40°C, the Italian region of Puglia declared a public health emergency and enacted an ordinance to limit outdoor agricultural work during heatwaves.
With this ordinance, Puglia issued a ban on agricultural work during peak heat hours (12.30 to 16.00) on days classified as high-risk. These risk levels are determined by WORKLIMATE, a national initiative conducted with INAIL (National institute for insurance against accidents at work), which studies the effects of heat stress on worker health and productivity.
The project also aims to estimate the social costs of heat-related workplace injuries and to develop a heat-health warning system tailored to occupational settings.
According to estimates provided to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 80 800 people suffered injuries at work due to heat exposure in 2020 and 67 people died as a result of working in extreme heat.
Heat's impact on productivity
Prolonged exposure to excessive heat places strain on the body, shortens productive working hours, impairs the ability to absorb information, and hinders sound decision-making.
Globally, it’s estimated that by 2030, more than 2% of total working hours worldwide are projected to be lost each year – a productivity loss equivalent to 80 million full-time jobs – because it’s either too hot to work or because workers have to go at a slower pace.
As a result, a European Commission study showed that the most intense heatwaves in recent years have led to yearly loss of up to 0.5% of the European gross domestic product. This is already more than twice the economic losses caused by heat prior to 2010.
With more frequent and prolonged heatwaves, yearly economic losses for the EU are expected to increase almost fivefold by 2060. Southern European countries are most affected.
According to the Joint Research Centre’s analysis, Cyprus is projected to be the hardest hit, with annual economic losses reaching 3–3.5% of its GDP by 2060. Portugal, Spain, and Croatia are expected to see their losses rise from around 2% in 2040 to approximately 3% by 2060. Romania, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria are also anticipated to face significant increases in economic impact over the same period.
To counteract heat’s negative impact on the economy, adapting the workplace to rising temperatures will be crucial.
Some measures proposed by the same study include better adapted and light-coloured uniforms, improved building insulation, greener workplaces with increased tree coverage, greater use of automation, access to cool air, and adjustments to work schedules to help exposed workers avoid the hottest parts of the day.
Many of these solutions can be implemented at local level through design solutions to address urban design and buildings’ shortcomings in terms of summer thermal comfort.
Heat's impact on local industries
Certain industries are particularly affected by rising temperatures, with local businesses and communities often bearing the brunt of this negative impact. Heat directly impacts essential industries such as the agricultural sector and construction sector, as well as some service industries like the tourism industry.
These industries represent the livelihood of many people and sustain communities’ wellbeing across Europe. Monitoring extreme heat at local level thus becomes critical for the work of local governments across departments.
The Cretien city of Rethymno, for instance, has set up nine meteorological stations that have all have extremely useful in providing timely information regarding severe weather phenomena (very high or very low temperatures, heavy rains, gusty winds) and sending of relevant alerts.
The stations collect valuable weather data for the municipality of a whole, that will form the basis for Rethymno’s climate profile and support a municipal database for guiding activities in agriculture, tourism, and water management policy.
Heat's impact on cities’ vitality
Heat’s disproportionate impact on cities – due to the heat island effect – also means that cities’ economies are those that most suffer from rising temperatures.
The Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Centre published a study analysing the economic impact of heat on 12 major cities globally, including Athens and London. The study showed that, in an average year, the losses total USD 44 billion across the 12 cities in 2020, and if we continue to emit the same levels of CO2, the amount will rise to USD 84 billion by 2050.
In the city of Athens, for example, the economic loss was estimated at around 100 million USD currently, projected to reach 230 million USD by 2050, with manufacturing, logistics and public services being more effected. Without actions to reduce emissions, Athens is expected to experience its hottest days three times more often by 2050, increasing from about 9 to 10 days per year today to 27 days annually.
Athens is actively working to reduce heat exposure and protect its population through policy, outreach, and urban improvements. Led by its Chief Heat Officer, the city enforces worker protections during heatwaves, such as extended breaks, access to air-conditioned rest areas, and hydration.
Public campaigns encourage vulnerable groups to use cooling centres, while a new heatwave categorisation system helps trigger faster emergency responses. The city is also investing in nature-based solutions, including the renovation of historic water fountains, creation of small “pocket parks,” and protection of existing street trees like the iconic mulberries, which are vital to preventing urban heat islands.
Heatwave tips from Athens - euronews
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To find out more about heat’s impact on economies, read the JRC’s report, Current and projected regional economic impacts of heatwaves in Europe, and Atlantic Council’s study, Hot Cities, Chilled Economies: Impacts of Extreme Heat on Global Cities.
Pojedinosti
- Datum objave
- 18 June 2025