Workers in Garment Manufacturing Face Extreme Heat

By Helen Reid

LONDON (Reuters) – Workers in major garment manufacturing centers like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Pakistan are increasingly facing extreme heat due to climate change, a recent report highlighted.

New European Union regulations hold retailers selling in the bloc, including Inditex, H&M, and Nike, legally accountable for labor conditions at their suppliers, pressuring them to fund improvements for cooler working environments.

In cities such as Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, and Karachi, days with "wet-bulb" temperatures exceeding 30.5 degrees Celsius increased by 42% from 2020-2024 compared to 2005-2009, according to researchers at Cornell University's Global Labor Institute.

The International Labor Organization recommends taking equal rest to work when such temperatures are reached to maintain safe body temperatures.

Only three retailers, Nike, Levi's, and VF Corp, have protocols in their supplier codes to protect workers from heat exhaustion.

Companies Warned

Jason Judd, executive director at Cornell University's Global Labor Institute, noted the delay in brands addressing this critical issue. With new regulations, brands must act when temperatures in production areas harm worker health.

The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, effective since July, will apply to large companies from mid-2027.

Possible solutions for keeping factories cool include improving ventilation and using evaporative cooling systems, rather than energy-intensive air conditioning that increases carbon emissions.

Factory owners may invest in cooling technologies as heat stress affects productivity, but the EU rules underline the shared responsibility of brands.

The report also advocates for retailers to enhance wage levels and health protections to help workers manage absences due to heatwaves.

Extreme temperatures and flooding may lead to a loss of $65 billion in apparel export earnings for Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Vietnam by 2030, according to previous research from Schroders and the Global Labor Institute.