The “Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change 2025″ reports paints a stark picture of a planet in crisis. With global temperatures surpassing 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time, the report which is authored by 128 experts worldwide warns that climate change is now a direct and escalating threat to human survival. Moreover, the past decade has been confirmed as the warmest ever observed, marking an alarming trend in global climate change.
“Every fraction of a degree of warming translates into measurable harm in form of heat deaths, hunger, disease, and economic loss,” the report states.
The findings reveal record-breaking impacts across health indicators such as:
- Heat-related deaths have surged by 63% since the 1990s, reaching 546,000 annually
- Over 123 million more people faced food insecurity in 2023.
- Wildfire smoke killed nearly 150,000 people in 2024
- Heat exposure wiped out 639 billion work hours which is equivalent to $1.09 trillion in losses.
Extreme drought affected 61% of global land nearly triple the 1950s average disrupting agriculture and water supplies. Climate shifts have also expanded disease zones, with dengue transmission potential up 48% and over 364 million more people now exposed to tick-borne illnesses. Despite the mounting evidence, fossil fuel subsidies hit $956 billion in 2023, with 15 countries spending more on them than on health. Yet, a glimmer of progress remains: renewables now supply 12.1% of global electricity, employing 16 million people worldwide.
The Lancet Countdown calls for “all hands on deck,” urging governments, industries, and citizens to act before adaptation becomes impossible.
