Paris pact underlines health-climate importance

PUNE: The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24 ), a major meet on climate change, was held in Katowice, Poland in 2018, where the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report highlighting why health considerations are critical to the advancement of climate action. It outlined key recommendations for policymakers.

The conference also emphasised on meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, which could save a million lives a year worldwide by 2050 through the reduction in air pollution alone. 

The latest estimates from leading experts also indicate that the value of health gains from climate action would be approximately double the cost of mitigation policies at the global level and the benefit-to-cost ratio is even higher in countries such as China and India.

According to WHO, exposure to air pollution causes seven million deaths worldwide every year and costs an estimated US$ 5.11 trillion in welfare losses globally. In the 15 countries that emit the most greenhouse gas emissions, the health impacts of air pollution are estimated to cost over 4 per cent of their GDP. Actions to meet the Paris goals would cost around 1 per cent of global GDP.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, said the Paris Agreement is potentially the strongest health agreement of this century.

“The evidence is clear that climate change is already having a serious impact on human lives and health. It threatens the basic elements we all need for good health - clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply and safe shelter - and will undermine decades of progress in global health. We can’t afford to delay action any further,” said Dr Ghebreyesus.

He added that the same human activities that are destabilising the earth’s climate also contribute directly to poor health. The main driver of climate change is fossil fuel combustion, which is also a major contributor to air pollution.

Dr Maria Neira, Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, WHO, said the true cost of climate change is felt in our hospitals and in our lungs.

“The health burden of polluting energy sources is now so high that moving to cleaner and more sustainable choices for energy supply, transport and food systems effectively pays for itself. When health is taken into account, climate change mitigation is an opportunity, not a cost,” said Dr Neira.

She added that switching to low-carbon energy sources will not only improve air quality but provide additional opportunities for immediate health benefits. For example, introducing active transport options such as cycling will help increase physical activity that can help prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease.