The Climate Change Committee has advised that classrooms should be no hotter than 25°C to shield pupils from the effects of global warming. The committee recommends that schools install air conditioning to prevent learning days from being lost due to hot weather.
Workplace Temperature Limits Proposed
The committee also calls for maximum temperature regulations for workplaces, raising the possibility that workers could be sent home on sweltering days. Prisons, hospitals, and care homes should all be equipped with air conditioning, the committee states, as it predicts temperatures will soar by the 2050s.
According to the report, the risk of extreme heat in homes and offices is projected to be four times higher in the 2050s than at present. Overheating leads to an increased risk of death and illness, as well as reduced productivity.
Impact on Education
The committee proposes that children should be taught in classrooms kept between 16°C and 25°C to protect staff, pupils, and learning. High temperatures can affect school children's ability to concentrate. Currently, there is an estimated average of 1.7 days of extreme overheating in schools and 4.3% cumulative lost learning time during the school year in England under the current climate. This is expected to worsen significantly by 2050, with two weeks of learning lost annually and children in southern England experiencing severe cognitive performance loss over summer.
Worker Safety Concerns
Maximum working temperature regulations would address the increasing risks that high temperatures pose to workers' safety and incentivise the deployment of necessary cooling measures. While the impact on most workers would be small, sectors such as agriculture, construction, transport, and emergency services would be more affected. Working in high temperatures can lead to difficulty concentrating, fatigue, nausea, loss of consciousness, and death, and can increase risks of occupational injuries, particularly in construction and other manual industries.
Extreme heat can be mitigated by air conditioning, shade, plants, and adapting uniforms and machinery. However, the committee raises the prospect that workers could be sent home on hot days if workplaces fail to comply with these regulations.
Political and Union Reactions
Former communities secretary Angela Rayner, who championed Labour's workers' rights legislation, proposed similar restrictions, but these did not make it into the final legislation. Unions including GMB, Unison, and Unite have backed the call for maximum workplace temperatures.
The committee also urges more investment in flood defences, water efficiency measures, support for farmers, and protection of nature.
