The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change:
The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has published its new research in Lancet Planetary Health Journal recently. The report has highlighted the benefits of the adoption of the Paris Agreement to health.
- It highlights that the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are inconsistent with the Paris Agreement.
- The Paris Agreement aims to limit the warming to below 2°C.
- The report also focuses on the crucial and overlooked incentive to tackle climate change.
- The study was carried in countries that represent 50 percent of the world’s population namely, China, Germany, Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- These countries also account for 70 percent of the world’s emissions.
Key findings of the report
- The signatories of the Paris agreement are updating and revising their NDCs in the backdrop of COP26 of 2021.
- However, the NDCs are not that strong globally to achieve the Paris agreement. Thus, there is a risk of global temperature rise of more than 3°C.
- The report further highlights that the adoption of the policies which are inconsistent with the aim of the Paris Agreement and with the prioritization of health can help in saving around,
- 4 million lives as a result of better diet
- 6 million lives as a result of cleaner air, and
- 1 million lives as a result of increased exercise.
- The report mentioned that, though the direct benefits of carbon mitigation are in the long-term the health co-benefits of the climate policies have immediate positive benefits.
- It says, If India follows the commitments of the Paris agreement, then it can save 4.3 lakh lives as a result of cleaner air and 17.41 lakh lives as a result of better diet.
