UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) stories

Oct 28, 2026

Lancet Countdown report declares climate change a growing global health emergency

The 2026 Lancet Countdown report, released ahead of COP31, finds that health impacts of climate change are accelerating, with heat-related deaths and climate risks increasing faster than a decade ago. The report attributes 3 million deaths between 2016 and 2023 to climate change and calls on the UN to declare a global health emergency.

Oct 28, 20269 sources

Top claims

▪The Lancet Countdown report found that the area of land hit by extreme drought expanded 700% faster between 2016 and 2025 than in the preceding decade.
▪Half of the heatwave days experienced by people in India between 2016 and 2025 were directly attributable to climate change, according to the 2026 Lancet Countdown report.
▪The 10th annual 2026 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report, led by University College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization, recommended establishing a formal mechanism to recognize climate change as a global health emergency.

Subtopics

Climate change1 Climate change health impacts1 Climate-driven pollution and public health threats1 Environmental and Occupational Health1 Extreme weather impacts1 Global health1 Public health1

Related timelines