According to WHO, health benefits outweigh the costs of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement | Nature

In 2018, the main task of COP 24 will be to establish the "regulation" of the Paris Agreement, ratified in 2015 and in which 195 countries have committed to limit global warming to 2 ° C here the end of the century.

The latest estimates from renowned experts also indicate that the value of health gains resulting from climate action would be roughly double the cost of global mitigation policies. and that the cost-benefit ratio is even higher in countries like China. and India.

The report also explains why health considerations are essential to promoting climate action and outlines key recommendations for policy makers.

Exposure to air pollution causes 7 million deaths worldwide each year and costs about $ 5.1 billion in welfare expenditures. In the 15 countries that emit the most greenhouse gases, the health impacts of air pollution would cost more than 4% of their GDP. Actions to achieve the Paris targets would cost about 1% of global GDP.

"The Paris Agreement is potentially the strongest agreement on the health of this century," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO.

• Global temperatures could increase by five degrees by the end of the century, according to the UN

. "The evidence is clear that climate change is already having a serious impact on human life and health." Threaten the basics we all need to stay healthy – clean air, clean water, nutritious food supplies and shelter sure – and compromise decades of progress in global health.We can no longer delay action. "

The same human activities that destabilize the Earth's climate also directly contribute to poor health. The main driver of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels, which is also a major contributor to air pollution.

"The true cost of climate change is being felt in our hospitals and lungs, and the burden of energy sources on health is now so great that the shift to cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions , transportation and food is paying off, "said Maria Neira, director of public health, Environmental Determinants, and" When health is taken into account, climate change mitigation is an opportunity and not a cost, "said Neira.

• Countries must triple their efforts to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement by 2030 [19659011] According to the report, the shift to sources of Low carbon energy will not only improve the quality of the air, but will also offer new opportunities for immediate health benefits, for example the introduction of active transport options tell. Cycling will help increase physical activity that can help prevent diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

as countries around the world take steps to protect lives from the effects of climate change – but the scale of support remains totally inadequate, especially for developing and least developed countries . Only around 0.5% of multilateral climate change funds for climate change adaptation have been allocated to health projects.

The Pacific Island Countries are responsible for 0.03% of greenhouse gas emissions, but are among the most affected by their effects. For the Pacific island countries, urgent action to combat climate change – including the results of COP24 this week – is crucial for the health of its people and their very existence.

"We now have a clear idea of ​​what needs to be done to protect the health of climate change – from more resilient and sustainable health facilities to improved warning systems for extreme weather events and disease outbreaks. infectious diseases, but the lack of investment leaves the most vulnerable behind, "said Joy St John, WHO's Director-General for Climate and Other Determinants of Health.