The global failure to adapt to climate change is having a detrimental impact on people’s lives and is responsible for millions of deaths each year, according to a new report from The Lancet.
The Lancet today released its 9th annual ‘Countdown on Health and Climate Change’ report, led by University College London and produced in collaboration with the World Health Organisation. It aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the links between climate change and health.
“This year’s health report paints a grim and undeniable picture of the devastating health damage affecting every corner of the world, with record threats to health from heat, extreme weather events and smoke from wildfires killing millions. The destruction of lives and livelihoods will continue to intensify until we end our dependence on fossil fuels and dramatically increase our capacity to adapt,” warned Marina Romanello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown at University College London, in a press release.
Twelve of the 20 indicators of the health risks and impacts of climate change presented in the report are at new records, showing that the health impacts caused by climate change have reached unprecedented levels that cannot be ignored. Indicators studied include extreme heat, weather events, food safety and pollution.
Weather events, such as extreme heat and wildfires, are becoming more frequent due to climate change and are having a deadly impact on the lives of thousands of people. The number of heat-related deaths has increased 23% since the 1990s, now reaching 546,000 per year, the report said. In 2024, the hottest year on record, the average person was exposed to a record 16 additional days of heat that were potentially harmful to their health, the report found. Air pollution from wildfire smoke has also been linked to a record 154,000 deaths last year.
Delays in adopting clean energy also have detrimental consequences for our health. Every year, 2.5 million deaths are attributable to air pollution resulting from the continued burning of fossil fuels. Many of these deaths could be avoided through the transition to clean energy: air pollution from the household use of dirty fuels and technologies in 65 countries led to 2.3 million deaths in 2022, according to the report. Energy-related emissions have reached new heights, the report says, as the world’s largest fossil fuel giants have increased their projected production to a scale three times greater than a livable planet can support. Under the Paris Agreement, global emissions must peak before this year at the latest and decline 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 backtracking on climate commitments will only cause more damage. “Low financial support for adaptation remains a major obstacle, and the data in this report shows that it is still largely insufficient to cover the financial needs declared by countries,” Romanello said. “A policy shift toward reduced foreign aid from some of the world’s richest countries further restricts financial support for action on climate change, leaving all populations increasingly unprotected. »
Despite the decline in climate action in the United States, many governments and communities are taking action globally and reaping the resulting health benefits. According to the most recent data analyzed by the study, the growing shift away from coal, particularly in rich countries, helped prevent around 160,000 premature deaths per year between 2010 and 2022, and renewable energy production also reached record levels in 2022.
This is just one example of how tackling climate change can improve health outcomes for people around the world, report contributors say.
“Action on climate change remains one of the greatest health opportunities of the 21st century, as it also drives development, drives innovation, creates jobs and reduces energy poverty,” said Tafadzwa Mahbhaudi, director of Lancet Countdown Africa in a statement. “Realizing the countless benefits of a health-centered response requires unlocking previously untapped opportunities to mitigate climate change and build resilience to the impacts already felt. »
