Global failure to adapt to climate change is negatively impacting lives and causing millions of deaths every year, according to new report “Lancet”.
Lancet today published its ninth annual Health and Climate Change Countdown report, commissioned by University College London and produced in collaboration with the World Health Organization. It aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the links between climate change and health.
“This year's health tally paints a grim and undeniable picture of devastating health damage sweeping every corner of the world – with record health threats from heat, extreme weather events and wildfire smoke killing millions. The destruction of lives and livelihoods will continue to mount until we end our dependence on fossil fuels and dramatically up our adaptation game,” Marina warned in a press release Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown at University College London.
Twelve of the report's 20 indicators of health risks and impacts of climate change set new records, showing that the health impacts of climate change have reached unprecedented levels that cannot be ignored. Indicators studied include extreme heat, weather events, food security and pollution.
Weather events such as heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common due to climate change and are having a deadly impact on the lives of thousands of people. Heat-related deaths have risen 23% since the 1990s and now reach 546,000 a year, according to the report. The report found that in 2024, the hottest year on record, the average person experienced a record 16 additional health-threatening hot days. Air pollution from wildfire smoke was also responsible for a record 154,000 deaths last year.
Delays in the deployment of clean energy are also negatively impacting our health. Every year, 2.5 million deaths occur due to air pollution caused by the continued burning of fossil fuels. Many of these deaths could be prevented by switching to clean energy: Air pollution from household use of dirty fuels and technologies in 65 countries contributed to 2.3 million deaths in 2022, according to the report. Energy-related emissions have reached new highs, with the world's largest fossil fuel giants increasing their projected production to three times the planet's habitable capacity, the report said. Under the Paris Agreement, the world must peak global emissions no later than this year and cut them by 43% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The report calls on leaders to focus on green solutions that can also improve health outcomes, and warns that political backsliding on climate change commitments will only lead to more harm. “Limited financial support for adaptation remains a key barrier, and the data in this report shows that it is still completely insufficient to meet the financing needs countries report,” Romanello said. “The policy shift to cut foreign aid from some of the world’s richest countries is further limiting financial support for climate action, leaving entire populations increasingly vulnerable.”
Despite the rollback of climate action in the United States, many governments and communities are taking action around the world—and reaping the health benefits that come with it. The growing shift away from coal, especially in rich countries, prevented about 160,000 premature deaths annually between 2010 and 2022, and renewable energy production also reached a record level in 2022, according to the latest data analyzed in the study.
This is just one example of how combating climate change can improve the health of people around the world, the report's authors say.
“Action on climate change remains one of the greatest public health opportunities of the 21st century, while also driving development, driving innovation, creating jobs and reducing energy poverty,” Tafadzwa Mahbhaudi, director of Lancet Countdown Africa, said in a statement. “Realizing the many benefits of a health-focused response requires unlocking hitherto untapped opportunities to mitigate climate change and build resilience to the impacts already felt.”
