Healthy Planet, Healthy People. How Slowing Climate Change Saves Lives

Just because the United States has re-joined the Paris Agreement doesn’t mean that the world is on a path to a better climate future. The 2015 agreement, in which signatories pledged to collectively cap global warming at “well below” 2°C above pre-industrial levels, is only the first step. Member nations still have to adopt ambitious carbon emission reduction plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and with the current level of commitments the world is on track for a global temperature rise of more than 2.5°C. However, a study published in a special issue of The Lancet Planetary Health journal may prove to be just the carrot for encouraging reluctant governments to pick up the pace on reducing emissions. New research from The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change shows that millions of lives could be saved annually by 2040 if countries raise their climate ambitions to meet the Paris Agreement targets. By adopting Paris-level climate plans and prioritizing health, the nine nations cited in the survey (Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) could save 6.4 million lives due to better diet, 1.6 million lives due to cleaner air, and 2.1 million lives due to increased exercise, every year. Read more: At Its Five-Year Anniversary, the Paris Deal Remains the Most Influential Global Framework for Addressing Climate Change Those nine nations are home to half the wo...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Brief climate change embargoed study Londontime overnight Source Type: news