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Every year, over 70% of the global workforce is exposed to extreme heat, resulting in more than 500,000 premature deaths. Without stronger mitigation and adaptation measures, heat-related mortality among vulnerable populations could increase by over 1,500% by the end of the century.

Building on the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action, which recognised extreme heat as a major barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this session aims to raise awareness of the urgency of the impact of heat, identify scalable and high-impact technical solutions, and provide participants with practical insights to drive advocacy and responses in their own sectors and regions. While the science and tools to reduce harm are advancing rapidly, implementation gaps remain, particularly with regard to ensuring that innovations reach and serve the communities most impacted by climate change. Participants will examine prototypes and partnerships that can help to scale up technical solutions and ensure that the benefits reach at-risk communities, thereby bridging the gap between science, technology, and policy to enable a more effective response to extreme heat.

This session is co-organised by the Rockefeller Foundation. The panel will bring together scientists, technologists, and climate-informed policymakers to explore innovations in predicting, monitoring, and communicating extreme heat, which is one of today’s most urgent and inequitable climate threats.

Opening Remarks: Greg Kuzmak, Director Health, Rockefeller Foundation

Moderator: Caradee Wright, Chief Specialist Scientist. South Africa Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

Panel Discussion:

• Alejandro Saez Reale, Unit Coordinator, WMO – Global Heat Health Information Network
• Anban Pillay, Deputy Director General, South African National Department of Health
• Ousmane Ndiaye, Director General, African Center of Meteorogical Application for Development (ACMAD)
• James Smallcombe, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Heat and Health Research Centre, University of Sydney
• Coleen Vogel, Distinguished Professor, University of the Witwatersrand