Build lasting defenses against extreme heat
Developing countries lack support to meet this growing threat.
Across the globe, extreme weather is striking harder and more often. The world is feeling the heat. 2026 has been a year of record-shattering temperatures. Raging wildfires. And a super-sized El Niño adding fuel to a planet already on fire.
Extreme heat is having an extreme impact of people’s lives. Workers forced to choose between their health and their income. Children unable to learn. Older persons trapped in stifling homes. Roads buckling. Grids failing. Hospitals overwhelmed. And those who did the least to cause this crisis paying the highest price.
We must name the chief culprit behind climate chaos: fossil fuels. Every new fossil fuel project makes tomorrow’s heatwaves deadlier.
Two years ago, I launched a Call to Action on Extreme Heat. Since then, governments and cities around the world have established heat action plans and strengthened worker protections. But developing countries lack support to meet this growing threat.
Today, I am calling on every national and local government to build lasting defenses against extreme heat. That means every part of government — health, housing, energy and transport — working as one. And it means heat action plans in place by 2030 — backed by the systems and resources to make it real. Plans that identify and protect those most at risk. That provide heat early warnings that reach everyone. That safeguard workers with clear heat safety standards. And bring sustainable cooling to those who need it most.
To go from plan to protection, we need finance, data, technology and capacity to deliver. That is your task in Bangkok. Let’s use the Roadmap for Extreme Heat Investment and Action to mobilize investment, strengthen heat governance — and save lives.
The planet is heating faster than our response. We can close that gap — together. As heat rises, so must our determination.
(Excerpts of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ message at the Global Heat Forum in Bangkok, Thailand on 6 October 2026.)