{
  "id": 7811764,
  "title": "Heat-related lost labor emerges as a major cost of carbon emissions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/heat-related-lost-labor-emerges-as-a-major-cost-of-carbon-emissions",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-16T15:26:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-lost-labor-emerges-major-carbon.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "According to a study published in Nature Climate Change, heat stress is causing significant losses in global labor productivity. Each ton of carbon dioxide emitted in 2025 is estimated to cost $41 in lost productivity, making labor the second-largest contributor to the social cost of carbon, just behind heat-related deaths. Highly populated areas experiencing critical heat and humidity thresholds, such as India, Nigeria, China, Pakistan, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa, are particularly affected. The study, led by Frances Moore from UC Davis, combines projections from the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) metric with job-specific estimates of work intensity and outdoor exposure. Heat-stress exposure varies globally, with agricultural and construction laborers being the most vulnerable, followed by indoor workers without adequate cooling. Employers and policymakers must recognize heat stress as a serious health hazard and prioritize measures to mitigate its impacts, such as providing shade, water, breaks, and shifting work to cooler hours.",
  "summary": "As the climate warms, people are more exposed to heat stress, which depresses productivity and the global economy. A study from the University of California, Davis, quantifies the cost of heat stress on global labor.",
  "key_points": [
    "Heat stress causes $41 loss in labor productivity per ton of CO2 emitted in 2025",
    "India, Nigeria, China, Pakistan, Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa most affected",
    "Agricultural and construction workers, indoor employees without cooling, most vulnerable"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}