Extreme Heat Costs EUR 98 M in Economic Losses in Athens Every Year, Impacts Grow to EUR 213 M by 2050

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council released "Hot Cities, Chilled Economies: Impacts of Extreme Heat on Global Cities," a new report detailing the social and economic effects of climate-driven extreme heat through the prism of 12 cities spanning six continents, covering an urban population of more than 123 million.

The study—undertaken in partnership with Vivid Economics—revealed that Athens will experience EUR 213.7 million in heat-related annual labor productivity losses by 2050, up from EUR 91.4 million under current conditions without concerted action to reduce the city's mounting heat risks.

"Climate-driven heat is changing the way we live and work, yet current awareness of this silent and invisible threat is dangerously insufficient. Heat's disproportionate impact on cities compelled us to quantify and explore the economic and social ramifications of our burning planet," said Kathy Baughman McLeod, SVP and Director of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council. "Our hope is that these findings will raise awareness and spur further adaptation interventions, policies, and investment that cool cities and protect people."

• If no action is taken to reduce emissions or enact cooling measures, "extreme hot days" in Athens will increase from roughly 9 to 27 days in a typical year by 2050, representing a threefold increase.
• Outsized worker productivity losses will be concentrated among construction, manufacturing and public sector workers relative to the size of their sectors--affecting a large number of workers through reduced wages or income--due to a combination of lower levels of Active Cooling coverage (air conditioning & fans) and higher labor intensity.

The city of Athens is leading efforts to reduce heat vulnerability of its population, but continued initiatives are required to tackle the rising temperatures. Ongoing efforts include:

• Planning/policy: Athens and its Chief Heat Officer are taking further steps to protect people from the effects of extreme heat. During heat waves, worker protections such as longer breaks during peak heat hours and mandated air-conditioned rest areas with water provided take effect.
• Outreach: Awareness campaigns have been implemented to urge at risk people to prepare and to visit public cooling centers. During extreme heat waves, initiatives such as categorizing heat waves, which are being trialed in Athens, can help reach people with specific actionable guidance before the heat hits and better prepare emergency responses.
• Investment in the built environment and nature-based solutions: The city is renovating 34 of its historic water fountains and developing "pocket parks" to provide cooling green spaces. Existing street trees, particularly mulberry trees which have come under threat from wood-borer insects, must be protected to prevent new heat islands from emerging.

For this report, only a subset of the ways in which extreme heat can impact a city's economy and society were examined and appraises impacts in 'normal' vs. unusually warm years, meaning it provides a conservative view of the social and economic costs of heat. Further, it does not look at impacts or costs to infrastructure, health care systems, reduced education and learning or the loss resulting from business interruption.

The report and full methodology can be found here.

The Adrienne-Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center builds individual and community resilience in the face of climate impacts. We pledge to reach one billion people around the world with resilience solutions to climate change by 2030.

Media Contact: ghenrich-koenis@atlanticcouncil.org