London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Climate change causing 'catastrophic harm to health,' experts warn

Climate change causing 'catastrophic harm to health,' experts warn

Editors of the world's leading medical journals joined together to release a climate change warning ahead of crucial UN and international summits.

A global temperature rise of more than 1.5C risks "catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse," according to a shared statement published in over 230 of the world's leading medical journals on Monday.

Journals including The Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine and the BMJ called for government action on climate change ahead of the next UN General Assembly meeting in September, the Kunming biodiversity summit in October and COP26 in Glasgow in November.

The editorial, which marks the first time such a large number of academic journals have shared a statement, criticised the failure of governments to meet the challenge of limiting global warming to 1.5C, calling it a "catastrophic outcome for health and environmental stability".

"The greatest threat to global public health is the continued failure of world leaders to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5C and to restore nature," the editorial read.

Climate change is already here


The statement also highlighted the impacts of climate change that were already being felt around the world, adversely impacting human health, the natural environment and efforts to grow food.

"The risks to health of increases above 1.5C are now well established," it said, citing studies which have found that heat-related mortality among people older than 65 years has increased by more than 50 per cent in the last 20 years.

The editorial also said rising global temperatures had brought increases in dehydration, malignant skin conditions, and a growing number of tropical infections, which it said disproportionately impacted "children, older populations, ethnic minorities, poorer communities, and those with underlying health problems".

The joint editorial also highlighted the fact that the impacts of climate change would fall unequally on rich and poor countries and called on wealthier nations to shoulder more of the burden.

"Wealthier countries will have to cut emissions more quickly, making reductions by 2030 beyond those currently proposed and reaching net-zero emissions before 2050. Similar targets and emergency action are needed for biodiversity loss and the wider destruction of the natural world," it said.

What should governments do?


The editorial, published simultaneously worldwide by academic publications including the Danish and Finnish Medical Journals, criticised global governments for setting climate targets that were not being met.

"Targets are easy to set and hard to achieve. They are yet to be matched with credible short-term and longer-term plans to accelerate cleaner technologies and transform societies. Emissions reduction plans do not adequately incorporate health considerations," it said.

The editorial called for action ahead of key environmental summits this autumn


To rectify the situation, the statement called for "fundamental changes" to the ways global societies and economies are organised.

It said governments would have to intervene directly to mitigate the negative impact of climate change on public health, saying, "the current strategy of encouraging markets to swap dirty for cleaner technologies is not enough".

"Many governments met the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic with unprecedented funding. The environmental crisis demands a similar emergency response.

“Huge investment will be needed, beyond what is being considered or delivered anywhere in the world," the editorial said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×