Europe Urged to Protect Its Populations from Heat
Open letter from health experts to the European Commission and Parliament calling for mandatory measures against heatwaves.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
More than 1,200 health experts have called on European Union institutions to adopt binding measures to strengthen protection against heatwaves.
In an open letter addressed to the European Commission and the European Parliament, as reported by the German news agency dpa, the signatories stated that protecting the population during the summer in Europe requires a “radical transformation.”
According to the alliance “Germany for Climate and Health,” the 1,240 signatories are predominantly from the health sector, including doctors, nurses, midwives, emergency and fire service personnel, public health experts, and researchers.
The signatories specifically demanded enhanced and legally binding measures to protect workers from heat, the establishment of requirements for heat protection in buildings, an end to government subsidies for fossil fuels, and efforts to achieve climate goals.
The letter noted that heatwaves during last summer caused more than 30,000 excess deaths in Europe, adding that “the victims were predominantly elderly people, women, individuals with chronic illnesses, as well as workers in outdoor environments.”
