- Ella Hambley
- Climate and Science Editor
A report from a major medical publication found that climate change is severely affecting the health of people around the world.
The Lancet report, entitled “Countdown,” says that the world’s continued dependence on fossil fuels increases the risks of food insecurity, infectious diseases and heat-related diseases.
UN Secretary General António Guterres responded that world leaders need to align action in line with the scale of the problem.
World leaders will meet at the climate conference in Egypt next month.
The report includes the work of 99 experts from organizations, including the World Health Organization, led by University College London.
The report describes how extreme weather has increased the pressure on health services globally, which are already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.
The report shows that heat-related deaths have increased globally by two-thirds over the past two decades.
Temperatures broke records around the world in 2022, including Britain, where it hit 40 degrees Celsius in July, as well as parts of Europe, Pakistan and China.
The health effects of extreme heat include worsening conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which cause heatstroke and poor mental health.
But the report says there are solutions. He concludes: “Despite the challenges, there is strong evidence that immediate action can save millions of lives, with a rapid transition to clean energy and energy efficiency.”
Guterres said the world is watching the G20 nations, which produce 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. He added that they should step up efforts to reduce emissions and pave the way through more investment in renewable energy.
“Human health, livelihoods, family budgets and national economies are deteriorating as human dependence on fossil fuel use is spiraling out of control,” he said.
Justin Rowlatt analysis
Climate Editor
Today’s Lancet report is an invitation to roll up our sleeves.
The authors hope the evidence provided will demonstrate the need for urgent action at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt.
But the summit is facing strong headwinds.
And developing countries will demand that countries that got rich using fossil fuels put in more money to cover the costs of the losses and damage caused by our climate change.
You will ask yourself: what about the $ 100 billion a year for climate action that developed countries should have saved by 2020? We are still short of billions of dollars.
Cop Egypt hosts warned of a “crisis of confidence”.
But the developed world is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis with rising energy and food prices. Many countries are already spending billions on military support for Ukraine.
Let’s get ready for some heated discussions in Egypt.
A UNICEF report, also released Wednesday, warned of the need for urgent action to increase funding to protect children and vulnerable communities from escalating heatwaves.
The researchers found that climate change has led to an increase in the spread of infectious diseases. The number of months facilitating the transmission of malaria in the mountainous regions of the Americas and Africa has increased over the past 60 years.
Fossil fuel emissions are a major contributor to air pollution.
Data published in The Lancet Countdown Report estimates that exposure to air pollution contributed to 4.7 million deaths globally in 2020, of which 1.3 million (or 35%) were directly related to fuel combustion. fossils.
The report adds that the effects of climate change are rapidly exacerbating the effects of other crises such as food insecurity, energy poverty and rising air pollution.
