As temperatures soar once again this week<\/a>, Verdant\u2019s director, James Meadway, said: \u201cThe economic costs of climate change are already with us, and set to worsen in future years. Action by the government to protect workers and businesses from the severe effects of extreme heat is well overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n Direct economic costs arise because workers across many industries become less productive in heatwaves, while infrastructure and equipment overheats and has to be shut down.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s amber weather warning for extreme heat in England from the Met Office, comes after three previous heatwaves in the UK in May, June and July. The forecaster has said the UK is on course to record its hottest summer ever<\/a>.<\/p>\n Verdant is calling for the government to implement a maximum working temperature; and be ready to step in to compensate workers when they are forced to cut their hours because of extreme heat.<\/p>\n chart<\/a><\/p>\n The report also points to the need for investment in urban redesign, to create more cooler green spaces in the UK\u2019s towns and cities.<\/p>\n Verdant\u2019s estimates exclude indirect losses such as the cost of fighting wildfires, and additional electricity consumption from running fans and air conditioning. The largest effect is likely to have been felt in London<\/a> and the south-east, where temperatures have been highest, the thinktank argues.<\/p>\n If heatwaves continue to intensify at the same rate as in the last decade, it suggests the annual economic cost could rise to more than \u00a325bn by 2030.<\/p>\n Verdant relies on cross-European estimates by the insurer Allianz, that suggest for every degree above 30C that temperatures rise, workers\u2019 output an hour declines by 3%.<\/p>\n The estimates correspond with work by the Grantham Research Institute at London School of Economics<\/a>, which suggested a \u00a31bn-plus loss of output during June\u2019s heatwave alone, from workers cutting back their hours or being less productive than usual, because of high temperatures.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782314834_381_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n