Heat-related deaths up 36% since Paris Agreement: Lancet

New Delhi: Some of the health harms of climate change grew faster in the decade since the Paris Agreement entered into force (2016-2025) than in the previous decade (2006-2015) as climate action fails to keep pace, according to the 10th Lancet Countdown Report on Health and Climate Change.

The report, which was released on Wednesday, said the annual average heat-related deaths rose by nearly 36% globally after the Paris Agreement was introduced. "In 2023 alone, heat was linked to a record 710,000 deaths with more than 70% of that toll attributable to human-caused climate change," it said.

The analysis represents the work of 146 multidisciplinary researchers from more than 100 institutions across more than 30 countries. It tracks 54 indicators of the health impacts of climate change and the health effects of climate action. The report highlights that cleaner energy, more resilient health systems, more health-protecting legislation and growing scientific evidence have brought real health benefits to local communities since the Paris Agreement, but these gains are still too slow, too insufficient, and too inconsistent to offset the growing risks.


"Rising overall energy demand and slow system change means fossil fuels still supply over 80 % of the world's energy," it said.