The world’s dependence on fossil fuels is exacerbating the health impacts of climate change, according to the seventh edition of The Lancet’s annual Countdown report.
The Countdown brings together 99 experts from 51 institutions such as the WHO and World Meteorological Organisation, and their latest findings, published 25 October 2022, show that the health impacts of multiple crises are being exacerbated by persistent fossil fuel dependence, putting additional strain on global health systems.
Some 43 indicators suggested that governments and companies continue to follow strategies that increasingly threaten the global risk of food insecurity, infectious disease transmission, heat-related disease, energy poverty, and deaths from exposure to air pollution.
The Countdown’s Executive Director, Dr Marina Romanello from the University College London, said that this year’s report reveals we are at a critical juncture.
“We see how climate change is driving severe health impacts all around the world, while the persistent global fossil fuel dependence compounds these health harms amidst multiple global crises, keeping households vulnerable to volatile fossil fuel markets, exposed to energy poverty, and dangerous levels of air pollution,” Dr Romanello explained.
“The data shows that no country is safe – climate change increases the likelihood and severity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, wildfires, storms, and droughts, costing hundreds of thousands of lives each year worldwide.”
Extreme heat was associated with 98 million more people reporting moderate to severe food insecurity in 103 countries in 2020 than annually between 1981 and 2010, with rising temperatures and extreme weather events directly shortening the growth season of crops by 9.3 days for maize, 1.7 days for rice and 6 days for winter and spring wheat.
Exposure to extreme heat also affected peoples’ health directly, exacerbating underlying conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and causing heat stroke, adverse pregnancy outcomes, worsened sleep patterns, poor mental health, and increased injury-related death.
Heat related deaths increased by 68% between 2017-2021, compared to 2000-2004, with vulnerable populations found to be the most at risk from extreme heat – children under one year old experienced collectively 600 million more days of heatwaves (4.4 more days per child), and adults over 65 years 3.1 billion more days (3.2 more days per person), in 2012–2021, compared to 1986–2005.
Similarly, in 2020 alone there were more than 1.3 million deaths resulting from exposure to fossil fuel-derived particulate matter air pollution.
Yet despite these outcomes, the report states that fossil fuels continue to be prioritised over clean energy solutions by governments and companies, with most countries analysed still collectively allocating hundreds of billions of US dollars to subsidising fossil fuels.
“This often amounts to sums comparable or even greater than the amount set aside in their total health budgets,” Dr Romanello said.
“Healthcare systems are the first line of defence for treating the physical and mental health impacts of extreme weather events and the other impacts of a changing climate. But health systems are struggling to cope with the burden of the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and other challenges, putting lives in jeopardy, today and in the future.”
However, she believes that a health-centred response can still deliver a thriving future if immediate action is taken.
“Despite the challenges, there is clear evidence that immediate action could still save the lives of millions, with a rapid shift to clean energy and energy efficiency – accelerated climate action would deliver cascading benefits, with more resilient health, food, and energy systems,” Dr Romanello said.
For example, accelerating a transition to more balanced and plant-based diets would not only reduce 55% of agricultural sector emissions from red meat and milk production, but also prevent up to 11.5 million diet-related deaths annually and reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases.
“With the world in turmoil, governments and companies have the opportunity to put health at the centre of an aligned response to these concurrent crises, and deliver healthy, safe future for all.”