The Lancet Countdown Europe works to ensure that health is at the centre of how decision makers understand and respond to climate change in Europe. Through high-quality scientific data which is regionally relevant, we work to inform policies that can maximise the health benefits of climate action, and enable a world in which all people can thrive.
Our Background
The 2015 Lancet Commission’s conclusion – that ‘tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century’ highlighted the need for a global monitoring system with the ability to engage policymakers and support health professionals.
In 2016 the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change was formed to address this gap, beginning with a public consultation to identify key areas to track and monitor. The collaboration recognises that health should be at the centre of how governments and decision makers understand and respond to climate change, to maximise the human benefits of a robust response.
Publishing annually in The Lancet, with strategic and financial support from the Wellcome Trust, The Lancet Countdown is hosted by University College London, and works with almost 300 leading researchers from around the world to track and understand the evolving links between climate change and people’s health.
70+
leading experts
41
regional indicators
26
collaborating institutions
Prof Cathryn Tonne, Co-Director, Lancet Countdown Europe
“Europe has a unique role to play in promoting climate change action and lead by example. Recognising Europe’s role in creating the climate crisis, the latest evidence on health and climate change calls for urgent action to cut greenhouse gas emissions in ways that simultaneously advance health and leave no one behind.”
Prof Joacim Rocklöv, Co-Director, Lancet Countdown Europe
“Across Europe, people are already feeling the health impacts of climate change. Locations that have previously been too cold are now suitable for infectious disease transmission; wildfires rip through southern Europe in summer; the number of heat-related deaths in Europe is rising; and air pollution is a major cause of premature death and disease. Our research shines a light on these impacts; and the pathways towards a health future.”
Wellcome is a financially and politically independent global charitable foundation established in 1936. It supports discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and brings together expertise across science, innovation and society to develop solutions to address three of the biggest health challenges facing humanity – climate change, infectious disease and mental health. Its Climate and Health programme seeks to generate the health evidence for policy action that protects health from climate change.
The Lancet began as an independent, international weekly general medical journal founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley. Since its first issue (Oct 5, 1823), the journal has strived to make science widely available so that medicine can serve and transform society, and positively impact the lives of people. Over the past two centuries, The Lancet has sought to address urgent topics in our society, initiate debate, put science into context, and influence decision makers around the world. The Lancet has evolved as a portfolio of journals and retains at its core the belief that medicine must serve society, that knowledge must transform society, that the best science must lead to better lives.
