Climate Change and Public Health: Why the Climate Emergency Is a Health Emergency

Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is a present and accelerating crisis undermining health, safety, and well-being worldwide. As extreme weather intensifies, global temperatures rise, and environmental systems destabilize, the consequences for human health grow more severe. The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) issues this call to action to highlight the urgent need for governments, institutions, and health leaders to confront the accelerating climate emergency with decisive, health-centered policies.

The Climate Crisis: A Global Failure With Human Consequences

Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, progress has been significantly hindered by accelerating climate change. Although solutions exist, global action has been too slow, fragmented, and insufficient to safeguard population health. Scientific evidence shows that:

• Global warming is accelerating, driving extreme heat, catastrophic fires, severe storms, droughts, and flooding.

• Disruptions across land, water, and ecosystems are worsening faster than anticipated.

• Opportunities for meaningful intervention are narrowing, as climate extremes become more frequent and intense.

The health risks are profound. Climate change affects food security, water quality, air quality, housing stability, and economic livelihoods, all of which are critical determinants of health.

Children: The Most Vulnerable Victims of Climate Change

UNICEF calls climate change the defining challenge for children’s rights. Nearly 1 billion children live in areas at extremely high risk from climate impacts. Many face overlapping threats such as:

• Flooding

• Heatwaves

• Water scarcity

• Disease outbreaks

• Poor air quality

Because children will experience climate impacts for longer and more intensively than adults, climate inaction constitutes severe intergenerational injustice.

Scientific Consensus: Human Influence Is Unmistakable

Despite decades of warnings, global emissions continue to rise. The IPCC confirms:

• Each of the last four decades has been warmer than the one before.

• Global temperatures have already increased by about 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels.

• Warming over land is even higher, posing heightened threats to health and safety.

Recent climate disasters, including heatwaves, fires, and severe storms, would be nearly impossible without human-induced warming.

The Mounting Toll: Water Scarcity, Disasters, and Economic Loss

Freshwater scarcity, already affecting billions, is expected to worsen dramatically. Extreme weather events have increased fivefold in the past 50 years, causing:

• 2.06 million deaths

• $3.6 trillion USD in economic losses

• Disproportionate impacts on developing nations

These inequities represent a profound moral and public health failure.

A Clear Path Forward: Mitigation and Adaptation

Even if emissions stopped today, warming would continue due to high atmospheric CO₂ levels. Therefore, climate resilience requires:

• Mitigation – drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Adaptation – preparing health systems, communities, and infrastructure for unavoidable impacts.

Renewable energy, sustainable food systems, water preservation, and reduced consumption are essential pathways to a healthier, more resilient world.

The Economic Case for Climate Action

Climate mitigation not only protects lives but also yields immense economic benefits. Research shows that limiting warming to 2°C could prevent trillions in GDP losses annually and save millions of lives through:

• Cleaner air

• Healthier diets

• Increased physical activity

• Reduced climate-related disasters

The cost of inaction vastly outweighs the cost of solutions already available.

Global Inequity: Those Most Affected Contribute the Least

Low-income and climate-vulnerable countries face the most significant climate risks despite having contributed least to global emissions. Wealthier nations must:

• Provide financial support

• Honor climate finance commitments

• Invest in research and adaptation

• Address climate-related loss and damage

Mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund were designed for this purpose, yet contributions fall drastically short.

Strengthening the Public Health Response

Evidence gaps persist, especially in mental health, maternal health, child health, and impacts in low-income countries. Increased funding and research are urgently needed to guide effective interventions and support the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Why Immediate Action Is Essential

Climate change is harming health today and threatens to undermine the prosperity, safety, and stability of future generations. Governments, public health leaders, and community organizations must prioritize:

• Strong emissions reduction targets

• Rapid decarbonization

• Climate-resilient health systems

• Protection for vulnerable populations

• Public health leadership at every level

The science is unequivocal: human activity is driving climate change, and political inaction threatens catastrophic outcomes.

A Call for Health-Centered Climate Leadership

Health must be at the center of climate policy. Governments hold a responsibility not only to their citizens but to the global community and to future generations. Climate change is a health emergency—and addressing it is both a moral and practical imperative.

The WFPHA reaffirms its commitment to advocate for a healthier future and urges all partners, organizations, and health professionals to join in the effort.

Who Must Act Now

This call to action is directed toward:

• National and multilateral policymakers

• Local and regional government officials

• Public health associations and agencies

• Health care leaders and emergency planners

• Community organizations and NGOs

• Urban planners, infrastructure specialists, and social service providers

• Educational leaders and private-sector partners

These groups play essential roles in designing and implementing climate-healthy policies, reducing emissions, strengthening resilience, and protecting vulnerable populations.

Key Recommendations for Immediate Progress

• Set and enforce ambitious emission-reduction targets.

• Increase commitments to the Green Climate Fund and ensure contributions are fulfilled.

• Hold governments accountable for policies affecting health.

• Support decarbonization across energy, transportation, food systems, and investment markets.

• Advocate for equitable compensation for climate-driven loss and damage.

• Engage communities in developing localized resilience strategies.

• Restore ecosystems critical to water, food, and mental well-being.

• Integrate health considerations into all public policies.

Moving Forward Together

Climate change and public health are inseparable.

Recognizing this connection is essential to protecting lives and shaping a healthier, more equitable future. The WFPHA stands with global partners to demand immediate, effective, and equitable climate action, because the climate emergency is unequivocally a health emergency.