Climate Inaction is Leading to Millions of Deaths Each Year – Time Magazine

Report on Climate Change Impacts on Health and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Lancet Countdown Report Findings

The 9th annual “Countdown on Health and Climate Change” report, published by The Lancet in collaboration with the World Health Organization, presents a comprehensive analysis of the severe health consequences stemming from a global failure to adapt to climate change. The findings indicate that inaction is directly responsible for millions of deaths annually, creating significant setbacks for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Direct Impacts on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The report documents unprecedented health harms, with 12 of the 20 indicators for health risks and impacts of climate change setting new records. These findings underscore a direct threat to SDG 3.

• Extreme weather events, heat, and wildfire smoke are causing escalating health crises globally.
• In 2024, the average person was exposed to a record 16 additional health-threatening hot days.
• The continued reliance on fossil fuels and dirty household fuels presents a severe public health challenge.

Mortality and Morbidity Statistics

1. The number of heat-related deaths has increased by 23% since the 1990s, now totaling 546,000 deaths per year.
2. Air pollution from wildfire smoke was linked to a record 154,000 deaths in the last year.
3. Air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is attributable to 2.5 million deaths annually.
4. In 2022, the household use of dirty fuels and technologies across 65 countries resulted in 2.3 million deaths.

Challenges to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)

Delays in transitioning to clean energy sources are exacerbating the health crisis and directly undermining progress on key environmental and energy-related SDGs.

• Energy-related emissions have reached new highs, in direct opposition to the goals of SDG 13.
• Major fossil fuel companies have increased projected production to a scale three times greater than what is sustainable to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as stipulated by the Paris Agreement.
• This trajectory jeopardizes the global commitment to peak emissions and achieve a 43% decline by 2030, a critical component of SDG 13.
• The slow adoption of clean energy technologies hinders the achievement of SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

Financial Barriers and the Role of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The report identifies significant financial and political obstacles that impede effective climate adaptation and mitigation, highlighting a failure in global partnerships as outlined in SDG 17.

• Financial support for adaptation is described as “grossly insufficient” to meet the needs disclosed by countries.
• A political trend of reduced foreign aid from some of the world’s wealthiest countries further restricts financial support for climate action.
• This lack of international cooperation and financial commitment leaves vulnerable populations unprotected and widens global inequalities, conflicting with the principles of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 17.

Opportunities for Progress: A Health-Centered Approach to SDGs

Despite the bleak outlook, the report emphasizes that a health-centered response to climate change presents a significant opportunity to advance multiple SDGs simultaneously.

• The increased shift away from coal in wealthy countries prevented an estimated 160,000 premature deaths annually between 2010 and 2022.
• Renewable energy generation reached record highs in 2022, demonstrating positive momentum toward SDG 7.
• The report concludes that climate action can serve as a catalyst for broader development, with co-benefits for several SDGs:
  • SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Creating new jobs in the green economy.
  • SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): Spurring innovation in sustainable technologies.
  • SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): Reducing energy poverty and improving energy access.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is the devastating impact of climate change on human health, directly linking environmental factors to mortality and well-being.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article discusses the health consequences of delaying the transition to clean energy and the continued reliance on fossil fuels.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The entire article is focused on the failure to adapt to climate change, the need to reduce emissions, and the consequences of inaction, which are the core principles of this goal.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article highlights the need for international cooperation and financial support to address climate change, pointing to a lack of sufficient aid and political commitment from wealthy nations.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The article directly addresses this by quantifying deaths from air pollution caused by fossil fuels and wildfires. It states, “Each year, 2.5 million deaths are attributable to the air pollution that comes from continued burning of fossil fuels,” and “Air pollution from wildfire smoke was also linked to a record 154,000 deaths last year.”
• Under SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article discusses the slow progress in this area, noting that “Delays in the adoption of clean energy are also taking a toll on our health.” However, it also points to positive developments, stating that “renewable energy generation also reached record-highs in 2022.”
• Under SDG 13: Climate Action
  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article opens by stating that “Global failure to adapt to climate change is taking a toll on people’s lives,” highlighting the deadly impact of extreme heat and wildfires, which are examples of climate-related hazards.
  • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article implicitly addresses this by mentioning the Paris Agreement and the need to “decline 43% by 2030” in emissions, which requires integration into national policies. It also warns against “political backsliding on climate commitments.”
• Under SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
  • Target 17.A (Finance): Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. The article points to a failure in this area, stating, “Scarce financial support for adaptation remains a key barrier, and data in this report shows it is still grossly insufficient.” It also mentions a “political shift towards reduced foreign aid support from some of the world’s wealthiest countries.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 3.9 (Reduce deaths from pollution):
  • Mortality rate from air pollution: The article provides specific figures that serve as direct indicators: “2.5 million deaths are attributable to the air pollution that comes from continued burning of fossil fuels,” “2.3 million deaths in 2022” from household dirty fuels, and “154,000 deaths” from wildfire smoke.
  • Mortality rate from climate-related hazards: The article states that heat-related deaths “have surged 23% since the 1990s, now reaching 546,000 a year.”
• For Target 7.2 (Increase renewable energy share):
  • Renewable energy generation levels: The article implies this indicator by stating that “renewable energy generation also reached record-highs in 2022.”
  • Fossil fuel production levels: As a counter-indicator, the article notes that “the world’s largest fossil fuel giants having increased their projected production.”
• For Target 13.1 (Strengthen resilience):
  • Number of people affected by climate-related disasters: The article implies this through the indicator of exposure to extreme heat: “the average person was exposed to a record 16 additional health-threatening hot days.”
• For Target 17.A (Financial support):
  • Financial flows for climate adaptation: The article provides a qualitative indicator by describing financial support as “grossly insufficient” and noting a “reduced foreign aid support from some of the world’s wealthiest countries.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: time.com