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The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning, calling the climate crisis a global health emergency that is already costing lives.
With 2024 officially declared the hottest year on record, WHO is urging urgent action to address the mounting health impacts of climate change.
According to WHO, Europe is warming faster than any other region it monitors and the health consequences are becoming more severe.
From increased death rates to mental health effects like climate anxiety, nearly every climate-related health indicator has deteriorated in recent years.
In response, WHO/Europe has launched a new body, the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health (PECCH), aimed at confronting this escalating crisis.
The commission, chaired by former Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, consists of 11 leading experts from across the region.
Their goal is to develop actionable recommendations to reduce emissions, build resilience and protect public health.
“The climate crisis is not only an environmental emergency, it is a growing public health challenge,” said Jakobsdóttir.
“We must recognise that the interplay among rising temperatures, air pollution and changing ecosystems resulting from human-induced climate change is already affecting the health and well-being of communities around the European Region and the world,” she added.
The health toll is already significant.
In 2022 and 2023 alone, more than 100,000 people across 35 European countries died due to extreme heat.
A third of all heat-related deaths worldwide now occur in the WHO European Region.
Vulnerable populations are especially at risk. Climate change increases the spread of infectious diseases, worsens food insecurity and causes more heat-related illnesses, particularly in low-income and marginalised communities.
“Climate change poses a serious and escalating threat to human health,” said Andrew Haines, chief advisor to the WHO/Europe climate-health initiative.
The commission is expected to deliver a roadmap for climate and health policy, pushing for coordinated strategies that address emissions, inequality and adaptation before the crisis deepens further.
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