The 2020 Report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Responding to Converging Crises

This report from the Lancet provides the latest information on the crises of health and climate change by presenting 43 indicators spanning five major sets of issues: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerabilities; adaptation, planning, and resilience; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. The collaborators found that indicators in the domains of climate change impacts, exposure, and vulnerabilities are worsening, as well as trends related to the human symptoms of climate change. They also found that vulnerable populations who are contributing least to the problem are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. Several causes of climate change lead to poor air quality, poor food quality, and poor housing quality that all afflict the health of disadvantaged populations the most. The report looks ahead to the next five years - 2020 is the fifth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Agreement, and countries will soon update their national commitments. The authors of this report underscore the need for accelerated efforts to address climate change, especially in the context of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

This report is part of the Lancet Countdown international collaboration between academic institutions and UN agencies to develop a global, independent monitoring system for tracking climate change and its emerging health profile worldwide. This initiative draws on the expertise of climate scientists, geographers, engineers, and experts in energy, food, transportation, as well as economists, social and political scientists, data scientists, public health professionals, and doctors. The report is accompanied by a supplementary appendix and an editorial on climate and COVID-19.