Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez asks workers to stop wearing ties

• Pedro Sanchez has called on public and private sector workers to ditch ties.
• Europe has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures.
• Mr Sanchez’s administration is preparing an energy-saving directive.

As an energy-saving strategy in the heat, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called on workers in the public and private sectors to forego wearing ties.

Mr Sanchez stated that his administration will take “urgent” energy-saving measures on Monday as European countries seek to reduce their reliance on Russian gas in the aftermath of the Ukraine conflict.

Temperatures in Madrid reached 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday, while Seville reached 39 degrees Celsius.

Europe has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures in recent weeks.

Mr Sanchez stated at a news conference in Madrid that he was not wearing a tie and that he expected his ministers, public officials, and private-sector workers to do the same.

“This means we can all save energy,” he continued.

According to the prime minister, the move will keep people cooler and, as a result, cut energy bills because air conditioners will be used less frequently.

Spain is hardly the first country to take this step. Japan launched its “Super Cool Biz” campaign in 2011, encouraging office workers to dress cooler in the summer.

And, in recent hot weather in the UK, parliamentarians were informed they could remove their suit coats in the House of Commons.

Mr Sanchez’s administration is preparing an energy-saving directive, which is scheduled to be passed on Monday.

It includes a proposal to urge companies to keep their doors closed as much as possible in order to prevent air conditioning from escaping. Earlier this week, France implemented a similar rule.

The measures are part of the European Commission’s €210 billion (£176 billion) plan to enhance renewable energy and reduce European countries’ reliance on Russian gas in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Germany is following suit, with one of its cities, Hanover, announcing that public pools and sports centres would only have cold showers.

Extremely high temperatures in recent weeks have prompted governments around the world to reassess their energy use, both environmentally and economically.

Because of human-caused climate change, heatwaves have become more common, more intense, and stay longer.

The world has already warmed by around 1.1 degrees Celsius since the beginning of the industrial age, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world drastically reduce emissions.

In addition to growing energy expenses, recent heatwaves in Spain have resulted in over 500 deaths in the last two weeks.

According to the World Health Organization, Europe’s most recent heatwave resulted in “needless deaths.”

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