热浪滚滚：有效应对气温上升的挑战

随着全球气温持续上升，联合国秘书长古特雷斯日前发出紧急呼吁，要求采取行动更好地保护全球数十亿遭受极端高温严重影响的人们。

保护最弱势群体

古特雷斯强调，虽然肆虐的高温无处不在，但它对每个人的影响并不相同。面临最大风险的人群包括城市贫民、孕妇、儿童、老年人、残疾人、病人和流离失所者，他们通常居住在不符合标准的住房中，无法获得降温设施。

据联合国估计，在过去二十年里，65岁以上老人因高温而死亡的人数增加了约 85%，而如今 25%的儿童经常暴露在热浪中，到2050年，这一比例可能上升到近100%。

“我们必须采取应对措施，大规模提高低碳冷却的可及率，扩大被动冷却——如自然解决方案和城市设计，以及清理冷却技术，同时提高其效率！” 他呼吁加大资金投入，保护社区免受气候混乱的影响。

保护工人

提高抗御能力

古特雷斯同时强调了加强经济和社会复原力的必要性，并列举了基础设施破坏、农作物歉收以及供水、卫生系统和电网压力增大等影响。城市尤其令人担忧——它们的升温速度是全球平均水平的两倍。

为了应对这些挑战，古特雷斯呼吁各国、各城市和各部门必须根据科学数据制定全面、有针对性的行动计划。

他说：“我们需要齐心协力，为经济、关键部门和建筑环境防暑降温。”

抗击疾病

古特雷斯重申，关键是要认识到除极端高温之外的各种气候异常症状，如飓风、洪水、干旱、野火和海平面上升。

他强调，各国政府，特别是二十国集团国家、私营部门、城市和地区，必须紧急通过气候行动计划，将全球气温上升限制在1.5摄氏度以内。

他说：“各国必须紧急淘汰化石燃料，停止新的煤炭项目。他们必须行动起来。”

现在是夏天，但生活不再轻松。

It’s summertime. But the living is no longer easy.

这一周，天气空前炎热。首先，欧盟哥白尼气候变化服务机构宣布7月21日星期日为有记录以来最热的一天。接着，7月22日星期一，气温进一步攀升。

This has been a week of unprecedented heat. First, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service declared Sunday July 21st as the hottest day on record. Then on Monday July 22nd, the mercury climbed even higher.

现在，我们刚刚收到的初步数据显示，7月23日星期二的气温也在同一范围内。

And now we have just received preliminary data indicating that Tuesday July 23rd was in the same range.

换句话说，上周日、周一和周二是有记录以来最热的三天。

但让我们面对现实吧：极端气温不再是一天、一周或一个月的现象。

But let’s face facts: extreme temperatures are no longer a one day, one week or one month phenomenon.

如果有一件事能把我们这个分裂的世界联系在一起，那就是我们都越来越感觉到热。

If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it’s that we’re all increasingly feeling the heat.

地球正变得越来越热，对每个人、每个地方都越来越危险。

Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere.

数十亿人正面临着极端高温流行病--在越来越致命的热浪中枯萎，世界各地的气温高达50 摄氏度。这相当于华氏122度，是沸腾的一半。

今年，致命的热浪袭击了萨赫勒地区，住院和死亡人数激增。

This year, we’ve seen a deadly heatwave hit the Sahel – with spiking hospitalisations and deaths.

美国各地的气温也打破了历史记录，据报道有1.2亿人受到高温警告。

And broken temperature records across the United States – reportedly placing 120 million people under heat advisory warnings.

炙热的天气导致1300名朝圣者在朝圣期间死亡；

Scorching conditions have killed 1,300 pilgrims during Haj;

欧洲汗流浃背的城市关闭了旅游景点；

Shut down tourist attractions in Europe’s sweatbox cities;

亚洲和非洲的学校停课，8000多万儿童受到影响。

And closed schools across Asia and Africa – impacting more than 80 million children.

当然，夏季的炎热与山丘一样古老。

但是，世界气象组织、政府间气候变化专门委员会和其他机构的记录表明，极端高温事件的规模、强度、频率和持续时间都在迅速增加。

But the World Meteorological Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and others have documented a rapid rise in the scale, intensity, frequency and duration of extreme-heat events.

这是在气温不断升高的背景下发生的--6月份正式成为连续第13个打破全球气温记录的月份。

And it comes against a background of ever-rising temperatures – with June officially the 13th consecutive month to break global temperature records.

极端高温正日益摧毁经济、扩大不平等、破坏可持续发展目标并造成人员伤亡。

Extreme heat is increasingly tearing through economies, widening inequalities, undermining the Sustainable Development Goals and killing people.

据估计，高温每年造成近50万人死亡，是热带气旋造成死亡人数的30倍。

Heat is estimated to kill almost half a million people a year, that’s about 30 times more than tropical cyclones.

我们知道造成这一现象的原因是什么：化石燃料引发的、人类造成的气候变化。

We know what is driving it: fossil fuel-charged, human-induced climate change.

而且我们知道情况会越来越糟。

酷热是新的不正常现象。

Extreme heat is the new abnormal.

但好消息是，我们有解决办法。

But the good news is that there are solutions.

好消息是，我们可以拯救生命并限制其影响。

The good news is we can save lives and limit its impact.

今天，我们发出全球行动呼吁，重点关注四个领域。

第一，关爱最弱势群体。

First, caring for the most vulnerable.

酷热无处不在，但它对每个人的影响却不尽相同。

Crippling heat is everywhere – but it doesn’t affect everyone equally.

当水银柱飙升时，风险最大的人群包括城市贫民、孕妇、残疾人、老年人、年幼者、病人、流离失所者和贫困者——他们通常居住在不符合标准的住房中，无法获得降温设施。

Those most at risk when the mercury soars include the urban poor. Pregnant women. People with disabilities. Older people. The very young, the sick, the displaced, and the impoverished – who often live in substandard housing without access to cooling.

例如，65岁以上老人因高温死亡的人数在20年内增加了约85%。

For example, heat-related deaths for people over 65 years of age increased around 85 percent in 20 years.

联合国儿童基金会告诉我们，如今几乎有25%的儿童经常暴露在热浪中。到2050年，这一比例几乎会上升到100%。

UNICEF tells us that almost 25 per cent of all children today are exposed to frequent heatwaves. By 2050, that could rise to virtually 100 per cent.

而生活在酷热中的城市贫困人口数量将增加700%。

And the number of urban poor living in extreme heat could rise 700 per cent.

极端高温加剧了不平等，加剧了粮食不安全，使人们进一步陷入贫困。

Extreme heat amplifies inequality, inflames food insecurity, and pushes people further into poverty.

我们必须采取以下应对措施：大规模增加低碳降温；扩大被动降温--如自然解决方案和城市设计；清理降温技术，同时提高其效率。

We must respond by massively increasing access to low-carbon cooling; expanding passive cooling – such as natural solutions and urban design; and cleaning up cooling technologies while boosting their efficiency.

据联合国环境规划署估计，到2050年，这些措施加在一起可以保护35亿人，同时减少排放，每年为消费者节省1万亿美元。

The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that, together, these measures could protect 3.5 billion people by 2050, while slashing emissions and saving consumers $1 trillion a year.

根据 "人人享有预警系统 "倡议，加强对最脆弱人群的保护也至关重要。

It’s also vital to boost protection for the most vulnerable – in line with the Early Warning Systems for All initiative.

世界卫生组织和世界气象组织估计，仅在57个国家推广高温健康预警系统，每年就能挽救近10万人的生命。

The World Health Organization, and the World Meteorological Organization estimate that scaling-up heat health-warning systems in 57 countries alone could save almost 100,000 lives a year.

提供资金帮助社区免受气候混乱的影响至关重要。我敦促发达国家兑现承诺，并表明它们将如何弥补巨大的适应资金缺口。

第二，我们必须加强对工人的保护。

Second, we must step up protections for workers.

国际劳工组织今天发布的一份新报告警告说，全球超过70%的劳动力——24亿人，现在处于极端高温的高风险之中。

A new report from the International Labour Organization – being released today – warns that over 70 per cent of the global workforce – 2.4 billion people – are now at high risk of extreme heat.

在亚洲和太平洋地区，每四名工人中就有三人面临酷暑的威胁。在阿拉伯国家，每十个人中就有八个以上，在非洲，每十个人中就有九个以上。

In Asia and the Pacific, three in four workers are now exposed to extreme heat. More than eight out of ten in Arab States, more than nine out of ten in Africa.

与此同时，欧洲和中亚地区的劳动力暴露于极端高温的人数增长最快。

Meanwhile, the Europe and Central Asia region has the most rapidly increasing workforce exposure to excessive heat.

在美洲，与高温有关的工伤事故增长最为迅速。

And the Americas is seeing the most rapidly increasing heat-related occupational injuries.

所有这些都对人类和经济产生了深远的影响。

All of this is having a profound impact on people and the economy.

过热是造成全球近2300万起工伤事故的原因。

Excessive heat is the cause of almost 23 million workplace injuries worldwide.

当日温超过 34°C或 93.2华氏度时，劳动生产率将下降50%。

And as daily temperatures rise above 34°C – or 93.2°F – labour productivity drops by 50%.

预计到 2030 年，工作场所的热压力将使全球经济损失 2.4万亿美元。而在 20世纪 90年代中期，这一数字仅为 2,800亿美元。

Heat stress at work is projected to cost the global economy $2.4 trillion by 2030. Up from $280 billion in the mid-1990s.

我们需要以人权为基础，采取措施保护工人。

We need measures to protect workers, grounded in human rights.

我们必须确保法律法规反映当今酷热的现实，并得到执行。

第三，我们必须利用数据和科学大力提高经济和社会的抗灾能力。

Third, we must massively boost the resilience of economies and societies using data and science.

极端高温几乎影响到每一个领域：

Extreme heat impacts almost every area:

基础设施坍塌、农作物歉收、供水、卫生系统和电网承受着巨大压力。

Infrastructure buckles, crops fail, and pressure piles on water supplies, health systems and electricity grids.

城市尤其令人担忧--其升温速度是全球平均水平的两倍。

Cities are a particular worry – they are heating up at twice the global average.

各国、各城市和各部门都需要以最佳科学和数据为基础，制定全面、量身定制的供热行动计划。

Countries, cities, and sectors need comprehensive, tailored Heat Action Plans, based on the best science and data.

我们需要齐心协力，为经济、关键部门和建筑环境做好防暑降温工作。

And we need a concerted effort to heatproof economies, critical sectors, and the built environment.

最后，我想提出一个最重要的观点。

今天，我们的重点是极端高温的影响。但我们不要忘记，气候危机还有许多其他破坏性症状：更加猛烈的飓风、洪水、干旱、野火、海平面上升，不胜枚举。

Today, our focus is on the impact of extreme heat. But let’s not forget that there are many other devastating symptoms of the climate crisis: Ever-more fierce hurricanes. Floods. Droughts. Wildfires. Rising sea levels. The list goes on.

为了解决所有这些症状，我们需要与疾病作斗争。

To tackle all these symptoms, we need to fight the disease.

这种疾病就是疯狂焚烧我们唯一的家园。

The disease is the madness of incinerating our only home.

这种疾病就是对化石燃料上瘾。

The disease is the addiction to fossil fuels.

这种疾病就是对气候问题无所作为。

The disease is climate inaction.

所有领导人都必须觉醒并挺身而出。

Leaders across the board must wake up and step up.

这意味着各国政府--尤其是二十国集团（G20）国家——以及私营部门、城市和地区都必须行动起来，就好像我们的未来取决于此，因为的确如此。

所有国家都必须在明年之前做出国家决定的贡献，即国家气候行动计划，将全球气温升幅限制在1.5摄氏度以内。

All countries must deliver by next year nationally determined contributions – or national climate action plans – aligned to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

国际能源机构已经表明，化石燃料的扩张和新建煤炭工厂与达到这一限制是不一致的。

The International Energy Agency has shown that fossil fuel expansion and new coal plants are inconsistent with meeting that limit.

我必须指出，我们在世界上一些最富裕的国家看到的化石燃料扩张潮。在签署大量新的石油和天然气开采许可证的同时，他们也在与我们的未来背道而驰。

I must call out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world’s wealthiest countries. In signing such a surge of new oil and gas licenses, they are signing away our future.

最有能力和实力的国家必须发挥领导作用。

The leadership of those with the greatest capabilities and capacities is essential.

各国必须快速、公平地淘汰化石燃料。

Countries must phase-out fossil fuels – fast and fairly.

它们必须停止新的煤炭项目。

They must end new coal projects.

20国集团必须将化石燃料补贴转向可再生能源，并支持脆弱国家和社区。

国家气候行动计划必须说明每个国家将如何为实现在COP28会议上达成的全球目标做出贡献，即到2030年将全球可再生能源发电能力增加两倍，并停止砍伐森林。

And national climate action plans must show how each country will contribute to the global goals agreed at COP28 to triple the world’s renewables capacity, and end deforestation – by 2030.

它们还必须在同一时间内将全球化石燃料的消费和生产减少30%。

They must also cut global consumption and production of fossil fuels by thirty percent in the same timeframe.

我们需要企业、金融部门、城市和地区按照我的净零排放高级别专家组的建议，制定类似的 1.5协调过渡计划。

And we need similar 1.5-aligned transition plans from business, the financial sector, cities and regions – following the recommendations of my High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero.

气候行动还需要金融行动。

Climate action also requires finance action.

这包括各国齐心协力，争取在COP29会议上取得强有力的融资成果；在创新融资来源方面取得进展；大幅提高多边开发银行的贷款能力，帮助发展中国家应对气候危机；富裕国家兑现其所有气候融资承诺。

That includes countries coming together for a strong finance outcome from COP29; progress on innovative sources of finance; drastically boosting the lending capacity of multilateral development banks to help developing countries tackle the climate crisis; and wealthier countries making good on all their climate finance commitments.

信息很明确：酷热正在蔓延。

The message is clear: the heat is on.

极端高温正在对人类和地球产生极端影响。

Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet.

世界必须迎接气温上升的挑战。

The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.

谢谢大家。