As emissions-driven global temperatures continue to rise, the structures we rely on for shelter are becoming increasingly dangerous. Instead of offering refuge from extreme heat, buildings and infrastructure designed for a climate that no longer exists, are turning homes and workplaces into life-threating environments.
We often picture climate change as raging wildfires or catastrophic floods; extreme heat is far more lethal. While fires, floods, and droughts combined typically claim tens of thousands of lives annually, extreme heat is roughly 15 to 25 times more deadly, killing nearly half a million people globally each year (though a recent study published in The Lancet revealed this death toll surged to 710,000 in 2023).