Climate change is accelerating health risks.

Climate change is already affecting billions of people—through heatwaves, food shortages, and more—especially in vulnerable regions. It puts at risk 50 years of progress in global health and is expected to cause up to 250,000 additional deaths each year by 2030.

Insights

Political: Despite scientific consensus and global commitments, climate-health policy remains underprioritized.

Economic: Climate shocks drive poverty, food insecurity, and health costs—pushing millions into hardship. Adaptation financing remains insufficient and inequitably distributed.

Social: Displacement, conflict, and weakened social cohesion heighten mental health risks and exacerbate inequities for women, children, migrants, and marginalized groups.

Technological: Clean energy, climate-informed surveillance, and climate-resilient infrastructure offer co-benefits—but require urgent scaling and equitable access.

Legal: Climate justice demands accountability and policy frameworks that ensure those most responsible for emissions support mitigation and adaptation for those most at risk.

Environmental: Rising temperatures, extreme events, and ecosystem disruptions are degrading the environmental determinants of health—air, water, food, and shelter.

Reflective Questions

How might we embed health equity and resilience into national climate adaptation and disaster preparedness plans?
What systems-level shifts are needed to transform health care into a climate-resilient and low-carbon sector?
How can global climate action prioritize health co-benefits and ensure the most vulnerable are protected first?