A new report on health and climate change, issued by the Lancet Countdown in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), stressed that protecting human health should be recognized as the strongest driver of climate action.
The report concluded that 12 out of 20 key indicators used to track health threats have reached record levels, evidence that climate inaction is costing lives, straining health systems, and undermining economies.
According to the report, the rate of heat-related deaths has risen by 23% since the 1990s, bringing the average annual total to 546,000 deaths worldwide.
Heatwaves and droughts were also linked to an additional 124 million people experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity in 2023.
The report stated that heat exposure led to the loss of 640 billion potential work hours in 2024, resulting in productivity losses worth 1.09 trillion dollars.
Meanwhile, heat-related deaths among the elderly imposed costs of 261 billion dollars globally.
Governments collectively spent 956 billion dollars on net fossil fuel subsidies in 2023, more than triple the total annual amount pledged to support countries vulnerable to climate change.
The report noted that 15 countries spent more on fossil fuel subsidies than on their entire national health budgets.
On a positive note, the report estimated that around 160,000 premature deaths per year were avoided between 2010 and 2022 thanks to reductions in outdoor air pollution from coal.
Renewable energy generation also reached a record high of 12% of global electricity, creating 16 million jobs worldwide.
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