Climate Change Committee calls for maximum workplace temperature limit

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has urged the government to introduce a national maximum workplace temperature as part of a major new report warning that heat, flooding and drought are threatening the UK’s way of life and food security.

In its report, A Well-Adapted UK, published on 20 May, the committee said better cooling measures, stronger flood protection and improved water security were among the most urgent priorities to help the country adapt to worsening climate change impacts.

The CCC said the government should commit to a legal maximum temperature for workplaces to protect workers and encourage investment in cooling systems such as air conditioning, heat pumps and green shading.

Retail trade union Usdaw welcomed the recommendation, with general secretary Joanne Thomas saying heat stress posed “a real health and safety risk” that could increase accidents and injuries in workplaces.

“Usdaw has long campaigned for the introduction of a legal maximum working temperature of 30°C, or 27°C for those doing strenuous work, with employers obliged to adopt cooling measures when the workplace temperature hits 24°C. So, we welcome the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee and look to the government to act,” Thomas said.

The committee also highlighted growing risks to UK food security, calling for improved monitoring of climate threats across the food supply chain. It urged the government to make its Adaptation Reporting Power mandatory for large food companies and to extend reporting requirements to businesses with a key role in food security and price stability.

Among its recommendations were greater support for farmers to improve climate resilience through measures such as crop diversification and on-farm water storage, alongside consideration of large-scale national food stockpiling.

The CCC warned that without action, climate risks would intensify sharply by 2050, with 92 per cent of UK homes likely to overheat, higher peak river flows increasing flood risks, and water shortages potentially exceeding five billion litres per day.

The committee estimated that adapting to climate change would require investment of around £11 billion a year, but warned that the long-term cost of inaction could rise to as much as 5 per cent of UK GDP annually by mid-century.

Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, said the UK was “not powerless” in the face of climate change and argued that proven technologies already exist to help the country adapt effectively. She said action was needed to protect communities, businesses and public services, including “keeping high streets open for business” and supporting farmers to safeguard food supplies in an increasingly unstable world.

“With the right decisions and actions, we can protect the people and the places we love,” she said. “The public want to see change and the government now has an opportunity to step up and protect our way of life.”

The CCC is the UK’s independent statutory climate adviser, established under the Climate Change Act 2008 to advise the government on emissions targets and report to Parliament on progress in tackling and adapting to climate change.