Arguments for maintaining winter time all year round for health and climate adaptation
Mar 27, 2026
Professors Jordi Mazón and David Pino propose the abolition of seasonal time changes in the European Union, arguing that the permanent adoption of winter time (UTC+1) would provide critical benefits for public health and safety in the face of global warming.
There is diverse scientific evidence linking the transition to summer time with an increased risk of heart attacks, traffic accidents and sleep disorders due to the desynchronization between the biological and social clocks. Maintaining winter time permanently would allow human activity to be better adjusted to the natural solar cycle, especially in the Iberian Peninsula. This change would reduce the so-called "social jet lag", making it easier for the population to wake up with sunlight and improving general well-being by avoiding the chronic lag that our metabolism suffers with the current summer time.
On the other hand, the adoption of UTC+1 throughout the year is presented as a key strategic measure to mitigate the effects of climate change in the Mediterranean region. By advancing sunset by one hour in summer, nighttime rest would be favored by allowing buildings to cool down earlier, thus reducing dependence on air conditioning. Likewise, this time change would shift the peak of daily heat towards periods of lower human activity, which could significantly reduce the risk of forest fires and improve the occupational safety of workers exposed to high temperatures.
To read the arguments in detail, please read the news published in theconversation.com :
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