UK climate advisers urge workplace heat limits as worsening heatwaves threaten health, schools, hospitals and daily life.
Climate advisers call for stronger heat protections
The UK should introduce maximum workplace temperature rules to protect staff as heatwaves become more frequent and severe, according to the Climate Change Committee. The government’s independent climate adviser says rising temperatures are no longer a distant concern but a present-day threat to health, productivity and safety. It argues that clear legal limits would help employers plan for extreme heat and reduce the risk of workers becoming ill, making mistakes or suffering accidents during hot spells.
The committee also says cooling schools, hospitals and other public buildings should be treated as one of the government’s highest priorities. Air conditioning, reversible heat pumps, shaded outdoor spaces, ventilation upgrades and green infrastructure could all help buildings cope better with summer heat. Without faster action, the CCC warns, essential services may become harder to run during heatwaves, particularly for children, older people, patients and staff working in poorly adapted buildings.
Baroness Brown, who chairs the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, criticised the UK’s record on preparing for climate impacts, describing progress by successive governments as woefully inadequate. She said the country must accept that parts of everyday British life, including school routines, sporting fixtures, festivals and travel, are increasingly exposed to climate disruption. The committee’s message is that reducing emissions remains vital, but adaptation can no longer be delayed while extreme weather is already reshaping daily life.
A country built for a climate that has changed
The CCC warns that the UK was designed around weather patterns that no longer reliably exist. Last year was the warmest year on record for the UK, and drought and low water levels affected large areas of the country. That followed one of the wettest winters on record in 2023-24, when heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding. These extremes illustrate the twin pressures the committee says will increasingly define the UK climate: wetter winters and hotter, drier summers.
The global climate has already warmed by about 1.4°C compared with pre-industrial times, and international efforts to keep warming well below 2°C remain off track. Even with faster emissions cuts, the CCC says the UK must prepare for impacts that are now unavoidable. In some river catchments, peak flows during very heavy rainfall could rise by up to 45% by mid-century, increasing the threat to homes, roads, railways and businesses located in vulnerable areas.
Water shortages are another major concern. The committee warns that England’s public water supply shortfall could exceed five billion litres a day without stronger action, driven by hotter summers, drought conditions and population growth. At the same time, more than 90% of existing homes could overheat during extreme heatwaves. The CCC identifies heat as the greatest climate-related health risk facing the UK, especially for people living in poorly insulated or badly ventilated housing.
Costs, choices and the case for acting now
The CCC has not recommended a specific UK maximum workplace temperature, but it points to Spain as an example. Spanish rules set maximum indoor working temperatures of 27°C for sedentary work and 25°C for light physical work. Similar UK rules could push businesses to invest in cooling measures before dangerous heat arrives, rather than relying on emergency responses. Baroness Brown also renewed her suggestion that the school year could be adjusted so pupils do not sit exams during peak summer heat.
Preparing the UK for a warmer climate will be expensive. The CCC estimates adaptation could cost about ÂŁ11 billion a year across the public and private sectors, and it cautions that this may still underestimate the true need. However, the committee argues that early investment would save money over time by reducing flood damage, heat-related illness, transport disruption, water shortages and lost productivity. It says the benefits could eventually amount to tens of billions of pounds each year.
The government said it would carefully consider the committee’s recommendations and stressed that it is already investing in flood defences and climate resilience. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said independent science is essential to guiding further action on flooding, extreme heat and drought. The CCC’s central warning, however, is that planning must accelerate. Its report frames adaptation not as an optional environmental measure, but as a practical effort to protect people, places, public services and the routines that shape life in the UK.
