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Global warming approaches 1.5 °C threshold, increasing health risks worldwide
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
Study highlights impact of climate change on health and increasing risks for humanity
Since 2023, global temperatures have reached record levels, driving climate crises that threaten human lives and put enormous strain on global health systems.
Goals of the Paris Agreement
The 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to protect the world from the severe impacts of rapid global warming by limiting temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. However, in 2023, the Earth's surface temperature reached 1.45°C above that baseline. A recent paper in The Lancet looked at the impacts of this warming.
Health and climate
In the most recent year of data, 10 of 15 climate-related health indicators showed record changes. For example, heat-related deaths among people over 65 increased by 167% compared with 1990 levels — well above the 65% increase expected without global warming.
Heat exposure increased the risk of heat stress by 27.7% compared to the 1990s, and heat-related sleep loss increased by 6% from the 1986–2005 baseline. Extreme weather events, such as record rainfall and flooding, affected 61% of the land area, and drought lasting one or more months affected 48% of the population.
Economic consequences
Economic losses from climate change increased by 23% from 2013 to 2023. In rich countries, about 61% of these losses were covered by insurance, while in low-income countries, most damages remained uncovered.
Lost working hours due to climate impacts reached a record 512 billion hours in 2023, equivalent to $835 billion. This loss represents 7.6% and 4.4% of GDP in middle- and low-income countries, respectively.
Progress in Healthcare
Despite the Paris Agreement target, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuels reached record levels in 2023 instead of declining. Emissions are expected to exceed targets by 189% by 2040.
Sustainable energy production remains insufficient: it meets only 2.3% of energy needs in the poorest countries, compared to 11.6% in richer countries. In poor regions, 92% of energy needs are met by burning biomass.
Conclusion
Based on the above, health professionals must actively engage with decision-makers at all levels to steer policies away from harmful actions and towards those that support health and sustainability. It is time to integrate health into climate action and address the health impacts of climate change.