Report of the
Lancet Countdown
The latest Lancet Countdown report reveals the health threats of climate change have reached record-breaking levels.
While people in every country face unprecedented health threats from the changing climate, continued investment in fossil fuels and lagging funding for action to protect health persist. Urgently redirecting resources from the fossil fuel-based economy towards a zero-emissions, healthy future will deliver rapid health and economic benefits.
Our 2024 Report tracks the relationship between health and climate change across five key domains and 56 indicators, providing the most up-to-date assessment of the links between health and climate change.
Key Messages
PEOPLE GLOBALLY ARE FACING RECORD-BREAKING THREATS TO WELLBEING, HEALTH AND SURVIVAL
The rapidly changing climate poses threats to communities in every country, who are faced with rising temperatures, deadly weather events, changes in suitability for infectious disease transmission, wildfires and droughts. Of the 15 indicators monitoring climate change-related health hazards, exposures, and impacts, 10 reached concerning new records in their most recent year of data.
GOVERNMENTS AND COMPANIES CONTINUE FUELLING THE FIRE
While action to tackle climate change is limited by scarcity of funding, financial resources continue to be allocated to activities that harm health and hinder the transition to a healthy future. New records in fossil fuel-related emissions, promoted by persistent investments in fossil fuels, are reducing our chances of survival. With the most disadvantaged worst affected, health inequities are growing.
FOSSIL FUEL FUNDING NEEDS TO BE URGENTLY REDIRECTED TO ACTIONS THAT BENEFIT HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Some incipient signs of progress and opportunities for action must now be harnessed to protect health in the face of climate change. Following decades of delays, avoiding the most severe health impacts of climate change now requires aligned, structural, and sustained changes across our energy, transportation, agriculture, food, and healthcare systems. Importantly, it requires a global transformation of global finance, shifting resources away from the fossil fuel-based economy, towards a health-supporting, zero-emissions future.
Explore key findings of this year’s report
The 2024 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Facing record-breaking threats from delayed action
HEALTH HAZARDS, EXPOSURES, AND IMPACTS
A changing climate has profound implications for human health, with more frequent heat waves and extreme weather events, changing patterns of infectious disease transmission, deterioration of food and water resources, impacts on socioeconomic conditions, and the exacerbation of existing health challenges around the world. Indicators in this section track the multiple ways in which climate change threatens human health and wellbeing.
1.1.1 Exposure of vulnerable populations to heatwaves
In 2023, infants and adults older than 65 years experienced a new record–high of 13.8 days of heatwave per person, on average.
1.2.2 Drought
In 2023, 48% of the global land area was affected by at least one month of extreme drought, the second-highest level since 1951.
1.3.1 Dengue
the climatic suitability for the transmission of dengue by Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti increased by 46.3% and 10.7% respectively between 1951–60 and 2014–23.
ADAPTATION, PLANNING, AND RESILIENCE FOR HEALTH
With climate change increasingly threatening the health and wellbeing of populations in every country, actions to build resilience and adapt to climate change are urgently needed. This section tracks how communities, health systems, and governments are understanding the health risks of climate change, the strategies and resources they are deploying, and how adaptation and resilience measures are being implemented globally.
2.2.1 Climate information for health
Among World Meteorological Organization members, only 23% of ministries of health reported having public health surveillance systems that integrate meteorological information
2.1.1: Vulnerability, and adaptation assessments & 2.1.2: National adaptation plans for health
As of December 2023, 50 countries reported having formally assessed their health vulnerabilities and adaptation needs, up from 11 in 2022; and 43 countries reported having a Health National Adaptation Plan, up from four in 2022
2.2.6 Climate and health education and training
In 2023, 70% (196) of 279 public health education institutions worldwide reported providing education in climate and health
MITIGATION ACTIONS AND HEALTH CO-BENEFITS
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to limit the health threats of climate change. Simultaneously, many of the interventions required to mitigate and adapt bring enormous benefits for human health and wellbeing in the form of cleaner air, healthier diets, and more liveable cities. Tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century. Indicators in this section track the world’s efforts to mitigate climate change, and the effective and the health benefits of this response.
3.1.1 Energy systems and health
Global CO2 emissions from the energy system reached an all-time high in 2023, 1.1% above 2022 levels
3.2.1 Mortality from ambient air pollution by sector
Deaths attributable to PM2.5 from fossil fuel combustion decreased 6.9% from 2.25 million in 2016 to 2.09 million in 2021
3.1.2 Household energy use
Shares of harmful biomass energy use in homes have decreased minimally, from 32% in 2016 to 30% in 2021, remaining at around 92% in low HDI countries
ECONOMICS AND FINANCE
The health impacts of climate change have profound economic implications. This section tracks the economic costs of the health impacts of climate change and its drivers, as well as the extent to which the world’s economy and financial systems are enabling the transition to a health-promoting, zero-carbon economy.
4.1.3 Loss of earnings from heat-related labour capacity reduction
In 2023, the global potential income loss from labour capacity reduction due to extreme heat was US$835 billion
4.2.2 Compatibility of fossil fuel company strategies with the Paris Agreement
As of March, 2024, the strategies of the 114 largest oil and gas companies have put them on track to exceed their share of greenhouse gas emissions consistent with limiting global heating to 1.5°C by 189% in 2040, up from the 173% excess projected in March, 2023
4.3.1 Clean energy investment
Global clean energy investment grew 10% in 2023 to US$1.9 trillion, exceeding fossil fuel investment by 73%
PUBLIC AND POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
Public and political engagement underpins the foundations of the world’s collective response to climate change, with reductions in global emissions at the speed required by the Paris Agreement depending on engagement from all sectors of society. This working group tracks key actors’ engagement with the links between health and climate change, including in the media, national governments, the corporate sector, and the broader public.The indicators in this section track the links between health and climate change in the media, national governments, the corporate sector, and the broader public.
5.4.1 Government engagement
In 2023, 35% of governments mentioned health and climate change in their annual UN General Debate statements, compared with 50% in 2022
5.3.1 Scientific articles on health and climate change
The number of scientific papers investigating the links between health and climate change increased by 7.4% in 2023, compared with 2022, reaching its highest recorded level
5.1 Media engagement with health and climate change
In 2023, 24% of all newspaper articles on climate change mentioned health, a slight decline from 2022
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
“Record-high emissions are posing record-breaking threats to our health. We must cure the sickness of climate inaction – by slashing emissions, protecting people from climate extremes, and ending our fossil fuel addiction – to create a fairer, safer, and healthier future for all.”
HE Hilda Heine, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
“This is yet another grim reminder of the threats that small island nations like mine face from the rapidly escalating climate crisis, including sea level rise, droughts and extreme weather events. The health impacts are already straining our healthcare systems and budgets. Small island states cannot wait any longer. The time for action is now.”
Dr John-Arne Røttingen, CEO of Wellcome
“This report clearly shows what our future will look like if we continue to do too little to tackle climate change. COP29 can be a turning point in this fight, where countries can commit to more ambitious climate action that not only protects the planet, but also improves health.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO
“The latest Lancet Countdown report, to which WHO has been a strategic partner, makes it clear: climate change is not a distant threat, but an immediate risk to health. Around the world, WHO is supporting countries to both adapt to and mitigate the health impacts of climate change by building climate-resilient and climate-friendly health systems.”
Rt Hon Helen Clark, 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand
“Putting health at the centre of climate action represents the biggest opportunity of our lives to secure a thriving future for all. This report is a clarion call to act now to protect ourselves, each other, and future generations.”
Country resources
Download country data sheets and policy briefs that explore the latest findings at a national level