Rising temperatures are changing the world, but the benefits and harms of temperature adaptation are unevenly distributed. This book combines scientific research with worldwide examples to examine climate change’s impact on health, labor, and cities. In addition to policy recommendations, it explores new perspectives on environmental justice and sustainable development.

What if every summer were now the coolest summer of your life?…

High temperatures are changing the world. This book invites us to explore the pressing issue of how to stop the planet from getting any warmer. In his new book Temperature Justice, an internationally renowned expert on thermal comfort and urban heat islands examines the science behind climate warming, taking readers on a deep dive into how we can achieve social equity and policy transformation in an era of high temperatures. The author uses simple and easy-to-understand language to show how climate change exacerbates social inequality and offers concrete suggestions for temperature-related transitional justice.

Divided into four chapters, the book explores the consequences of high temperatures at the global, individual, industry, and policy levels. The first chapter gets straight to the point, explaining the impact of global warming and giving a brief introduction to the core concept of temperature justice, which lays the foundation for subsequent chapters. Chapter two focuses on the individual, discussing how vulnerable to high temperatures groups such as the elderly, children, and outdoor workers are.

Chapter three takes an in-depth look at several industries, including food and beverage, transportation, construction, and agriculture and fisheries, explaining how high temperatures affect their operations and how to improve them. The last chapter makes policy recommendations that emphasize the importance of greening, wind corridor planning, and shade; it also offers some thoughts on the excessive use of air conditioners, calling on everyone who uses them to be aware of their impact on temperature change.

The book has a clear structure that incorporates scientific research, concern for human wellbeing, and policy recommendations. It is suitable for readers who care about environmental change, social equity, and sustainable development.