30th October 2024
On October 30, 2024, the Lancet Countdown published the 8th annual report on health and climate change, offering the most current analysis of how climate impacts human health globally. Timed for release just before the 29th UN Conference of the Parties (COP29), the report provides governments and policymakers with crucial evidence to address the health impacts of climate change.
The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) has developed the Lancet Countdown UK policy brief, created in collaboration with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Nursing, the British Medical Association, and the UK Kidney Association. The brief highlights three critical priorities for the UK: reducing air pollution, protecting populations from extreme heat, and advancing a low-carbon, climate-resilient healthcare sector.
The key recommendations are:
- Invest and fund rapid decarbonisation and climate resilience in the NHS by transitioning to renewable sources of energy, upgrading infrastructure, adopting a predominantly plant-based dietary approach, electrifying transport fleets, and improving active travel and public transport access.
- Mandate a new Clean Air Act to legislate clean air as a human right and meet the WHO-recommended limits of air pollutants by 2030. In addition, the UK should develop a framework to implement a just transition away from wood burning to clean fuels in urban and rural areas.
- Develop and implement a national green infrastructure strategy to prioritise local authority action and unlock funding, such as through public-private partnerships. The health co-benefits—reduced air pollution, cooling during heatwaves, and increased physical activity and mental well-being—will foster a healthier, thriving UK population.
The policy brief is accompanied by a country datasheet for the UK.
As COP29 approaches, the report serves as a vital call to action, urging leaders to prioritise financing climate action with maximum health co-benefits to foster healthier, more resilient societies.
Investing in climate action is an investment in public health. We’re already seeing the devastating effects that air pollution and heatwaves are having on the population’s wellbeing.
Investing in climate action is an investment in public health. We’re already seeing the devastating effects that air pollution and heatwaves are having on the population’s wellbeing. All of this puts extra and unnecessary pressure on the NHS at a time when our services are already stretched to the limit. Ensuring our health service is resilient to the impact of climate change must be prioritised, alongside action to reduce its carbon emissions. We hope this report acts as a wake-up call to the Government to protect our planet and public health, both now and for generations to come.
Prof David Strain, Chair of the BMA’s Board of Science
Implementing the recommendations in this policy brief is essential to protecting children’s health. Air pollution, extreme heat, and a healthcare system vulnerable to climate impacts are already straining public health in the UK.
With COP29 on the horizon, we hope this report compels the Government to act decisively, investing in climate resilience and clean air solutions that secure the health of current and future generations.
Dr Helena Clements, RCPCH Officer for Climate Change