I can't cool: extreme heat and human rights in the context of climate change

This report examines the consequences and risks of extreme heat through a human rights lens and offers concrete recommendations for actions that can be taken - starting now - to protect populations from harm. Climate Rights International compiled this report to identify and understand the many different rights that are put at risk by rising temperatures and exposure to extreme heat as a result of climate change. Viewing climate change through a human rights lens can help identify actionable solutions, and the responsibilities of governments, companies, and others to act.

Recommendations from the publication include:

• For developed countries: Provide financial support to assist with the implementation of heat-adaptation efforts in developing countries, as agreed to in the Paris Agreement;
• For developed countries: Advance multi-country funding initiatives to enhance access to cooling, such as the World Bank Cooling Facility, which was created in 2021 with $157M from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and will focus efforts on solutions in nine developing countries over ten years;
• Identify available heat-related data. Conduct a baseline risk assessment in consultation with at-risk communities and persons to define heat impacts in your jurisdiction and better understand social determinants of heat-related risk. Make findings publicly available and accessible.