Better Climate, Better Health

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing society worldwide. As documented by the State of the Global Climate 2022 report, the past eight years have seen the highest global mean temperature on record. Unprecedented levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases (GHGs) are causing changes in the atmosphere and in the oceans.1 In the face of numerous risks created by climate change, health is an increasing area of concern. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is predicted to lead to more than 250,000 deaths globally per year due to heat, undernutrition, malaria and diarrhoeal disease alone.2 If no additional adaptation measures are taken, the burden of climate-sensitive diseases, both infectious and non-communicable, is anticipated to rise significantly as a result of climate change. Despite accumulating evidence, the severity of the crisis has not been adequately recognized and addressed, and the domains of climate change and global health remain isolated from each other.