From Opinions Desk
The report, Global benefits and costs of prioritised actions on climate change and health, is the first comprehensive analysis of the economic and fiscal returns from taking six WHO-recommended actions to scale. Together, the findings point to a triple dividend from these climate actions: healthier people, lower emissions and stronger economies.
Released ahead of COP31, where governments are expected to share their climate commitments, the report underscores that many health impacts of climate change are preventable with solutions available today. But these solutions must be implemented across health and health-determining sectors to help anticipate, prevent, prepare for and reduce climate-related health risks.
Six proven climate and health measures could save 1.6 million lives a year while delivering trillions of dollars in economic and fiscal gains, according to a new WHO report released recently.
Scaling up these measures globally, from heat-health warning systems and climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene to clean household energy and efficient fossil fuel pricing policies, could generate USD 3.9 trillion in economic welfare benefits annually, while also helping to cut carbon emissions. They could deliver a further USD 5.4 trillion a year in fiscal benefits.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis, but much of the harm it causes can be prevented with tools we already have,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This report shows that scaling up proven, affordable actions could save millions of lives, with the greatest gains in the countries that need them most. As governments prepare for the next round of climate negotiations, protecting health must be at the centre of climate action.”
The report estimates that scaling up the six actions globally could prevent 1.6 million deaths annually – equivalent to one in every 40 deaths, based on modelled projections. The six actions include heat-health warning systems; climate-resilient drinking-water services; basic sanitation services; hygiene and handwashing facilities; cleaner household fuels and technologies for cooking and heating; and efficient fossil fuel pricing policies. The actions could also help avoid 16.7 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to 31% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions excluding land use, land use change and forestry.
