146 international experts are calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) to declare climate change a global health emergency. The authors of the 2026 report published in The Lancet warn that the human body’s resilience is approaching its limits, while extreme environmental conditions are becoming deadly.
Heat is driving record numbers of deaths worldwide. In 2023 alone, 71.5% of the 710,000 heat-related deaths were directly attributable to climate change. The trend is alarming: while the climate crisis accounted for 55% of heat-related deaths between 2006 and 2015, this figure rose to 68% between 2016 and 2023, accounting for 369,900 of the 540,800 annual deaths.
The environmental catastrophe is also undermining the global economy. In 2025, rising temperatures reduced labour capacity and caused $1.07 trillion in economic losses worldwide. The economies of African and Southeast Asian countries were hit particularly hard, with significant impacts on gross domestic product (GDP). Agriculture and construction were especially affected, as workers in these sectors often perform strenuous physical labour outdoors.
According to Marina Romanello, Executive Director of The Lancet Countdown, the threats posed by climate change are growing much faster than the international community’s response. Meanwhile, the planet is facing two extremes: increasingly frequent droughts are driving food crises, malnutrition and air pollution, while large-scale floods are spreading infectious and respiratory diseases.
Despite this outlook, the world’s 100 largest oil companies plan to exceed the level of fossil fuel production compatible with climate targets by 150% by 2040. Scientists are urging governments to take immediate action, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and put human life at the centre of political decision-making.
