WHO projects 1.6 million lives could be saved yearly through climate action
In a report released on Wednesday, ahead of the COP31 climate change conference in Turkey, the UN health agency outlined interventions aimed at reducing climate-related health risks while strengthening economies and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
The proposed measures include heat-health early warning systems, climate-resilient drinking water and sanitation infrastructure, improved hand hygiene, cleaner household energy and more efficient fossil fuel pricing.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said many of the health consequences of climate change could be avoided through existing and affordable interventions.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis, but much of the harm it causes can be prevented with tools we already have”, he said.
According to the report, implementing the six measures could deliver what it described as a “triple dividend” of healthier populations, lower emissions and stronger economies. The interventions could prevent up to 16.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually and generate as much as $5.4 trillion in fiscal benefits each year.
The WHO also projected an additional economic boost of nearly $4 trillion through lives saved, reduced healthcare costs and fewer climate-related disasters. However, the agency acknowledged that the projections were based on ambitious scenarios and subject to data limitations and uncertainties.
Despite these constraints, Tedros said expanding proven interventions could produce significant health benefits, particularly in countries most vulnerable to climate change.
With global leaders preparing for COP31, he urged governments to make public health a central consideration in climate policies and negotiations.
