Health threats of climate change have hit record levels
We have reached alarming new records in health risks tied to a warming climate, according to the Lancet Countdown’s 8th annual report on Health and Climate Change. This year, global citizens faced 50 more days of extreme heat on average, exposing millions to unprecedented health hazards.
The report also notes that 48% of the global land area experienced severe drought in 2023 – the second-highest level ever recorded. This, along with intense heat waves, contributed to severe food insecurity for an estimated 151 million more people compared to previous years.
“Once again, last year broke climate change records – with extreme heat waves, deadly weather events, and devastating wildfires affecting people around the world,” warned Marina Romanello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown.
“The relentless expansion of fossil fuels and record-breaking greenhouse gas emissions compounds these dangerous health impacts, and is threatening to reverse the limited progress made so far.”
Health consequences of climate change
The authors of the report condemn governments and corporations for “fueling the fire” by continuing to fund fossil fuels at a time when the health consequences of climate change are rapidly escalating.
Despite available financial resources to move toward net-zero emissions, trillions of dollars continue to fund fossil fuel subsidies and investments.
These funds, the report suggests, could instead be redirected to support clean renewable energy, which would improve health, create sustainable jobs, and increase overall quality of life.
“Repurposing the trillions of dollars being invested in, or subsidizing, the fossil fuel industry every year would provide the opportunity to deliver a fair, equitable transition to clean energy and energy efficiency, and a healthier future, ultimately benefiting the global economy,” Romanello explained.
The authors advocate for a global shift toward a health-centered financial system that prioritizes a zero-emissions future, which they argue would provide rapid benefits to health, economy, and environment.
The human costs of rising heat
As extreme weather becomes more frequent, the toll on human life continues to grow. Heat-related deaths in those over age 65 surged by 167% in 2023 compared to the 1990s, a dramatic increase linked to both rising temperatures and existing inequities.
Additionally, millions are facing extreme heat stress: in 2023 alone, people around the world endured an average of 1,512 hours of heat threatening their health, a 27.7% increase over the 1990-1999 baseline.
Rising temperatures have also led to a 512 billion-hour loss of potential labor time globally, with economic impacts equivalent to approximately $835 billion – significantly impacting GDP in low- and middle-income countries.
Climate change and health risks
Other health impacts noted in the report include a rise in the spread of infectious diseases due to climate-induced changes.
The suitability for transmission of dengue by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes rose by 46% and by Aedes aegypti by 11% over the last decade, contributing to a record-breaking five million dengue cases across over 80 countries in 2023.
“People in all parts of the world are increasingly suffering from the financial and health effects of climate change, and disadvantaged communities in resource-limited nations are often the worst affected,” said Wenjia Cai from Tsinghua University.
“Adaptation is failing to keep pace with the rapidly growing health threats of climate change.”
Putting an end to fossil fuel investments
The report reveals a concerning increase in fossil fuel-related emissions and investments, warning that this continuous reliance on fossil fuels is worsening climate change.
In 2023, global carbon dioxide emissions from energy reached an all-time high, and for the first time in a decade, the proportion of fossil fuels in the global energy system rose.
Although climate funding remains limited, fossil fuels drew 36.6% of global energy investment in 2023, with many governments increasing fossil fuel subsidies to offset rising energy prices.
Emissions continue to rise
New data estimates that over 182 million hectares of forest – equivalent to 5% of the world’s tree cover – were destroyed from 2016 to 2022, dramatically diminishing the Earth’s natural ability to capture carbon.
Record levels of tree loss, particularly in Russia, the USA, and Canada, are exacerbating climate impacts by accelerating emissions.
“Oil and gas companies – supported by many governments and the global financial system – continue to reinforce the world’s addiction to fossil fuels,” said Stella Hartinger, Lancet Countdown Latin America Director.
“These perverse investments, coupled with the serious failure to make the necessary structural changes in the energy sector to support the net-zero transition, are jeopardizing the economies on which people’s livelihoods depend, and leaving the health and survival of millions of people at risk.”
Positive trends in clean energy
Despite the negative trends, some positive developments suggest a pathway to improvement. Deaths from air pollution caused by fossil fuel emissions decreased nearly 7% from 2016 to 2021, driven largely by reduced pollution from coal burning.
At the same time, electricity generated by modern renewables reached 10.5% in 2021 – almost double that of 2016 – while global clean energy investment grew by 10% in 2023, surpassing fossil fuel investment by 73%.
Employment in renewable energy hit an all-time high, with 13.7 million people employed in the sector in 2022, a 35.6% increase since 2016.
“Progress towards an equitable and healthy future requires a global transformation of financial systems, shifting resources away from the fossil-fuel based economy towards a zero-emissions future,” said Anthony Costello, Co-Chair of the Lancet Countdown. “For successful reform, people’s health must be put front and center of climate change policy.”
Making health a priority in climate action
The report highlights the growing involvement of individuals, corporations, scientists, and international organizations in the movement to prioritize health in climate action, fostering optimism that a more sustainable, healthy future remains possible.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres, responding to the report, concluded, “record-high emissions are posing record-breaking threats to our health. We must cure the sickness of climate inaction – by slashing emissions, protecting people from climate extremes, and ending our fossil fuel addiction – to create a fairer, safer, and healthier future for all.”
The report is published in the journal The Lancet.
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