Tracking climate change and health in Europe
Year: 2023
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: Climate change impacts health through complex multidimensional pathways. However, whilst evidence and awareness of the health implications of climate change are increasing, there is a need for accessible information allowing effective communication of complex climate-health trends. Responding to this need in Europe, the Lancet Countdown in Europe (LCDE) developed indicators that monitor and quantify the health-climate change nexus since the 1950s. METHOD: 33 indicators act as summary measures representing the heterogenous climate-health relationships across (1) impact, exposure, and vulnerability; (2) adaption, planning and resilience; (3) mitigation actions and health co-benefits; (4) economics and finance; and (5) politics and governance. RESULTS: Health risks (1) for almost all indicators have been increasing; clinically relevant pollen seasons are starting 10-20 days earlier each year (1981-2020), the climatic suitability for climate-sensitive infectious diseases have been rapidly increasing (1951-2020), and heat exposure is estimated to have increased by 57% between the first and second half of the 21st century. Some encouraging trends for adaptation (2) could be observed. Yet, despite progress in the reduction of the carbon intensity of energy systems and phasing out coal for electricity generation, mitigation efforts remain inadequate to meet reduction targets (3); European energy systems should decarbonise five times the current pace to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Likewise, 94% of the European population is still estimated to live at PM2·5 concentrations higher than the WHO guidelines. Furthermore, several substantial economic losses due to climate-related health impacts are reported (4), including losses to due extreme events or reduced labour supply. Lastly, whilst strengthening climate action requires key actors to engage with the health dimensions of climate change, political, corporate, scientific, and individual engagement remains low (5). CONCLUSIONS: The LCDE highlights the accelerating trends in health-related hazards, exposures, vulnerabilities and risk from climate change, and the insufficient adaptation and mitigation actions in Europe.
Source: ISEE Conference Abstracts
Institutions: Barcelona Supercomputing Center, University College London, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Basque Centre for Climate Change, University of Birmingham, Hertie School, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Umeå University, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4390994466