ILO tracks global loss in worker productivity as climate change makes work places too hot

By Samuel P. Medenilla, Business Mirror – Jul 1, 2019

THE International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates global economic losses from the impact of climate change on worker productivity to reach US$2,400 billion by 2030, with the Philippines counted among the most heavily affected.

In its “Working on a warmer planet: The impact of heat stress on labor productivity and decent work” report, ILO said almost 80 million full-time jobs will be lost due to global warming at it makes some workplaces too hot for employees.

“The impact of heat stress on labor productivity is a serious consequence of climate change, which adds to other adverse impacts such as changing rain patterns, raising sea levels and loss of biodiversity,” ILO’s Research department unit chief Catherine Saget said in a statement.

The Philippines is among the countries which will be heavily affected by the warmer climate.

The labor arm of the United Nations said work hours lost to heat stress in the Philippines in 1995 for agriculture was at 3.20 percent. For the construction sector, this was 3.20 percent.

By 2030, ILO said this work lost to heat stress for both categories is expected to soar to 6.50 percent.

ILO said heat stress occurs when the body is exposed to heat beyond what it can tolerate without suffering physiological impairment. It said this generally occurs at temperatures above 35°C, in high humidity.

“The data are based on historical observations and on estimates obtained using the RCP2.6 climate change pathway, which envisages a global average temperature rise of 1.5°C by the end of the century,” ILO said.

ILO said labor productivity losses are expected to increase in all countries in Southeast Asia, except Myanmar.

“The latter exception can be explained by the fact that Myanmar is undergoing rapid structural transformation from agriculture to services: fewer agricultural workers are therefore being exposed to the risks associated with rising temperatures,” ILO said.

To minimize the impact of global warming on workers, ILO urged the a tripartite approach “to design, finance and implement national policies to address heat stress risks and protect workers.”

“These include adequate infrastructure and improved early warning systems for heat events, and improved implementation of international labor standards such as in the area of occupational safety and health to help design policies to tackle heat-related hazards,” ILO said.