The year 2022, marked by record heat and a historic drought, has shown how much work is also affected by climate change. Workers experience a combination of climate effects on their health, ranging from the hardship induced by unsuitable work environments to a questioning of the very meaning of work.
Since October, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) has taken up the subject, for an opinion which it must submit on April 25, and which is based on a survey published in mid-February. Jean-François Naton, adviser to the CESE appointed by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and co-rapporteur of the “Work, health-environment” opinion, delivers his analysis and avenues for better taking into account the impact of the climate on workers’ health.
Is there a general awareness of climate change in the world of work?
Individually, workers are aware that human activities are the cause of climate change, and they believe that this has or will have significant consequences on work situations. Our survey, which is based on hearings and an online consultation that gathered responses from 1,922 participants, suggests that this awareness is linked to training: 34% of employees have taken or plan to take training on the subject, organized by their employer or on their own initiative. The participants in our survey consider that work must be a solution to fight against climate change and that its transformation is necessary to minimize its negative impact on the planet. A seesaw is at work.
What occupational health effects are being felt as a result of climate change?
Some professions combine hardships: transport, organization and working conditions, lack of recuperation, etc. We have here a potentially explosive situation for the health of workers. During periods of heat wave, non-restorative nights lead to an accumulation of fatigue and exhaustion. Due to the heat, working conditions indoors, in buildings with bay windows for example, can also deteriorate.
Workers face – and will increasingly face – crowding and other disruptions in travel between home and work. Moreover, climate change will accentuate the feeling of loss of meaning at work. Our country has been suffering from a labor crisis for several years. For a third of the respondents to our survey, to this old question is now added what is called eco-anxiety. It results from questions about the purpose of commitment to work: “Does my work contribute to the destruction of the planet? » ; “By earning my living, am I destroying that of my children and grandchildren? » ; “Why am I working? » There is a real expectation to work differently.
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