The 2021 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Code Red for a Healthy Future

This report from The Lancet presents the latest data on health and climate change, reporting on 44 indicators spanning five major areas: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerabilities; adaptation, planning, and resilience; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. In the face of rapidly changing environmental conditions, such as rising global temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, the authors note a significant rise in the health impacts of climate change and the costs of inconsistent responses from countries around the world. In 2020, millions of people were impacted by climate disasters spanning floods, droughts, and extreme heat events—while also facing the global COVID-19 pandemic. As climate change progresses, the authors find that it will also significantly impact food and water security, agricultural production, and the potential transmission of disease, disproportionally affecting the most vulnerable populations in low-income countries. In contrast, high-income countries continue to contribute the most to the problem, representing the majority of global CO2 emissions while avoiding the brunt of the impact. The authors call for accelerated efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses (GHGs) by half in the next decade to ensure the health and wellbeing of people across the globe and meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report underscores the dire need for action that promotes universal access to clean energies and the preservation of the planet and calls for a COVID-19 recovery plan that directs funds toward a low-carbon, green recovery to minimize the health inequities caused by climate change worldwide.

This report is a publication of the Lancet Countdown, an independent, international collaboration spanning 43 academic and UN institutions to monitor and track climate change and its emerging health consequences worldwide. The collaboration draws on the expertise of climate scientists, economists, social and political scientists, experts in energy and transportation, and public health professionals. The report is accompanied by a supplementary appendix and an editorial.