London: Experts and researchers have called for climate change to be recognized as a global health emergency, warning of accelerating health impacts, including a 36 percent rise in heat-related deaths worldwide.
The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report, released Wednesday, found that climate-related health impacts accelerated in the decade following the 2015 Paris Agreement, while international action failed to keep pace.
Annual average heat-related deaths rose from 398,400 in 2006-2015 to 540,800 in 2016-2023. Severe drought affected 51.8 percent of global land areas for at least one month in 2025, the second-highest level on record.
Prepared by 146 experts from more than 30 countries, led by University College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the report tracked 54 indicators covering heat, air pollution, infectious diseases, energy, adaptation, health research funding and the impacts of extreme weather.
Global clean energy investment reached a record USD 2.1 trillion in 2025, nearly twice investment in fossil fuels. Declining fossil fuel-related air pollution helped avert an estimated 323,000 deaths annually in at least 77 countries where pollution levels have fallen since 2016.
However, fossil fuels still meet more than 80 percent of global energy needs, contributing to climate change and associated health and environmental risks.
The researchers urged governments to prioritize public health in climate policies by accelerating emissions cuts, expanding clean energy investment and funding measures to reduce climate-related health risks.
