The online magazine Inside Climate News has published an analysis of the social and economic changes taking place in the Delivery Platform sector in the context of climate change.
According to the authors, extreme weather events are becoming a new, serious threat to millions of people working as delivery drivers worldwide.
The authors highlight two key consequences.
First: the transfer of the risk of harmful weather from the customer to the delivery driver. Research indicates the phenomenon of “heat exposure transfer.” When temperatures rise, the number of orders increases dramatically (up to 13% during heat waves) because wealthier customers prefer to stay in air-conditioned rooms. As a result, approximately 45% of the heat avoided by customers is transferred to delivery drivers who must work in these extreme conditions.
Second: apparent financial gains. Although during bad weather (snowstorms, heavy rain, heatwaves), so-called “heat waves” often occur, “Weather bonuses” are rarely used by suppliers. Delays occur: difficult road conditions increase delays by as much as 20%, resulting in penalties on some platforms. And then there are the completely ignored health costs: the risk of heatstroke, exhaustion, or accidents outweighs the additional earnings.
In summary, the authors point out that food delivery services have become an “adaptive service” for the wealthier segment of society, which comes at the expense of the health and safety of the lowest-paid workers, placed on the front lines of the fight against the effects of global warming.
More: insideclimatenews.org
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