We are facing a heat crisis, one of the most urgent threats posed by climate change. Heat is no longer a ‘comfort’ issue, but instead a critical business risk to an organization’s most valuable asset: its people.
From heat crisis to heat resilience
If heat reshapes how we live and work, then the built environment and workplaces themselves must be reshaped in return. Health costs, impaired cognition, behavioral shifts, and disrupted commutes all point to one thing: the workplace is not just where the risks are felt, but also where solutions can take root. That makes it a critical arena for adaptation. The good news is that solutions already exist; buildings, infrastructure and working patterns can all be designed to protect people, sustain productivity, improve performance and help cool the cities around them.
Here, we present three areas where adaptation can take shape: rethinking building design, integrating green infrastructure, and introducing greater flexibility in how and when we work.