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City dwellers at higher risk of heatwave death

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19 Feb, 2025

This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters

Mortality rates during heatwaves have been put in the spotlight with research from the University of Queensland (UQ) showing a 20% increase in heatwave-related deaths due to human-induced climate change.

Another UQ study has also revealed people living in cities are at a higher risk of dying from heatwaves than those in regional areas.

The two studies examined the mortality burden of heatwaves in Australia, and Associate Professor Nicholas Osborne from the School of Public Health hopes this research will assist communities and health authorities to prepare for extreme temperature events.

“Our results suggest heatwaves with associated periods of higher mortality will occur more often than they did in the past,” Osborne said.

“These higher mortality rates associated with extreme temperature heatwaves are projected to continue and we hope our research will help communities be better prepared for heatwaves.”

Heatwave risk for those living in cities

In one study, UQ researchers analysed two decades’ worth of temperature and mortality data to determine which areas in Australia are more vulnerable to heatwaves, through a Heatwave Vulnerability Index.

PhD candidate Patrick Amoatey from the School of Public Health said the study — the largest of its kind conducted in Australia — found people living in cities were at higher risk of death during extreme temperature events.

“We used an index mapping tool to assess how human populations will fare under a range of heat scenarios,” Amoatey said.

“We found the Heatwave Vulnerability Index, frequently used in other countries, could reliably predict heatwave-related deaths in Australia.

“In analysing data for more than 2000 suburbs, we found city dwellers with low income, low education, diabetes and limited access to health services, were at the highest risk of heatwave-related deaths.

“This was the case for all of Australia’s capital cities, which are home to 70% of Australia’s population.”

‘Heat island effect’

The researchers found that even during low-intensity heatwaves there was a strong association with deaths and the Heatwave Vulnerability Index in Australia’s capital cities.

“We believe the risk is higher in cities because of the ‘heat island effect’, as there are more heat-absorbing surfaces like roads, buildings and railway lines,” Amoatey said.

“In Greater London, for example, research has shown the Heatwave Vulnerability Index could be used to predict an increase in ambulance callouts and mortality rates during heatwaves, which is helpful for health authorities and something we could use in Australia.

“We already have useful tools and state-based action plans to reduce the impact of heatwaves, but we believe a vulnerability index could help supplement this to help communities plan and build resilience.”

Amoatey said a heatwave was considered a period of three consecutive days where the maximum temperature was in the top 5% for that area.

Climate change impacts on heatwave deaths

In a separate study, researchers from UQ and The Australian National University analysed mortality rates during an extreme heatwave in Victoria in January 2009, along with decades of climate data, to examine the impacts of climate change on heat-related deaths.

An estimated 374 excess deaths occurred in Victoria during the five-day event, with maximum temperatures reaching 12–15 degrees above normal.

“Human-induced climate change had increased the excess heatwave-related mortality in the 2009 event by 20%,” Osborne said.

“These findings were in line with other research that shows heat-related deaths are increasing due to human-induced climate change.

“From a public health perspective, our studies and further research can provide guidance on the need for adequate health infrastructure and workforce that might be needed to cope with higher demand for health services during heatwaves.”

The Heatwave Vulnerability Index research is published in Environmental Impact Assessment Review.

The mortality and climate change research was led by ANU’s Professor Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and is published in Environmental Research Climate.

Image credit: iStock.com/Jay_Zynism

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Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

31 Jul, 2025

In June, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 E-Waste World, Battery Recycling, Metal Recycling, and ITAD & Circular Electronics Conference & Expo events in Frankfurt, Germany.

Speaking in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track on a panel with global Circular Economy leaders from Foxway Group, ERI and HP, we explored the evolving role of IT asset disposition (ITAD) and opportunities in the circular electronics economy.

The event’s focus on advancing circular economy goals and reducing environmental impact delivered a series of insights and learnings. From this assembly of international expertise across 75+ countries, here are some points from the presentations that stood out for me:

1. Environmental impact of the digital economy

Digitalisation has a heavy material footprint in the production phase, and lifecycle thinking needs to guide every product decision. Consider that 81% of the energy a laptop uses in its lifetime is consumed during manufacture (1 tonne in manufacture is equal to 10,000 tonnes of CO2) and laptops are typically refreshed or replaced by companies every 3–4 years.

From 2018 to 2023, the average number of devices and connections per capita in the world increased by 50% (2.4 to 3.6). In North America (8.2 to 13.4) and Western Europe (5.6 to 9.4), this almost doubled. In 1960, only 10 periodic table elements were used to make phones. In 1990, 27 elements were used and now over 60 elements are used to build the smartphones that we have become so reliant on.

A key challenge is that low-carbon and digital technologies largely compete for the same minerals. Material resource extraction could increase 60% between 2020 and 2060, while demand for lithium, cobalt and graphite is expected to rise by 500% until 2050.

High growth in ICT demand and Internet requires more attention to the environmental footprint of the digital economy. Energy consumption of data centres is expected to more than double by 2026. The electronics industry accounts for over 4% of global GHG — and digitalisation-related waste is growing, with skewed impacts on developing countries.

E-waste is rising five times faster than recycling — 1 tonne of e-waste has a carbon footprint of 2 tonnes. Today’s solution? ‘Bury it or burn it.’ In terms of spent emissions, waste and the costs associated with end-of-life liabilities, PCBAs (printed circuit board assembly) cost us enormously — they generally achieve 3–5% recyclability (75% of CO2 in PCBAs is from components).

2. Regulating circularity in electronics

There is good momentum across jurisdictions in right-to-repair, design and labelling regulations; recycling targets; and voluntary frameworks on circularity and eco-design.

The EU is at the forefront. EU legislation is lifting the ICT aftermarket, providing new opportunities for IT asset disposition (ITAD) businesses. To get a sense, the global market for electronics recycling is estimated to grow from $37 billion to $108 billion (2022–2030). The value of refurbished electronics is estimated to increase from $85.9 billion to $262.2 billion (2022–2032). Strikingly, 40% of companies do not have a formal ITAD strategy in place.

Significantly, the EU is rethinking its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management targets, aligned with upcoming circularity and WEEE legislation, as part of efforts to foster the circular economy. A more robust and realistic circularity-driven approach to setting collection targets would better reflect various factors including long lifespans of electronic products and market fluctuations.

Australia and New Zealand lag the EU’s comprehensive e-waste mandated frameworks. The lack of a systematic approach results in environmental degradation and missed positioning opportunities for businesses in the circular economy. While Australia’s Senate inquiry into waste reduction and recycling recommended legislating a full circular economy framework — including for imported and local product design, financial incentives and regulatory enforcement, New Zealand remains the only OECD country without a national scheme to manage e-waste.

3. Extending product lifecycles

Along with data security and digital tools, reuse was a key theme in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track of the conference. The sustainable tech company that I lead, Greenbox, recognises that reuse is the simplest circular strategy. Devices that are still functional undergo refurbishment and are reintroduced into the market, reducing new production need and conserving valuable resources.

Conference presenters highlighted how repair over replacement is being legislated as a right in jurisdictions around the world. Resources are saved, costs are lowered, product life is extended, and people and organisations are empowered to support a greener future. It was pointed out that just 43% of countries have recycling policies, 17% of global waste is formally recycled, and less than 1% of global e-waste is formally repaired and reused.

Right to repair is a rising wave in the circular economy, and legislation is one way that civil society is pushing back on programmed obsolescence. Its global momentum continues at different speeds for different product categories — from the recent EU mandates to multiple US state bills (and some laws) through to repair and reuse steps in India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Commission has done a scoping study to identify product groups under the Ecodesign framework that would be most relevant for implementing an EU-wide product reparability scoring system.

Attending this event with the entire electronic waste recycling supply chain — from peers and partners to suppliers and customers — underscored the importance of sharing best practices to address the environmental challenges that increased hardware proliferation and complex related issues are having on the world.

Ross Thompson is Group CEO of sustainability, data management and technology asset lifecycle management market leader Greenbox. With facilities in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Greenbox Group provides customers all over the world a carbon-neutral supply chain for IT equipment to reduce their carbon footprint by actively managing their environmental, social and governance obligations.

Image credit: iStock.com/Mustafa Ovec

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