Climate Crisis: Why Experts Are Calling for a Global Public Health Emergency

The climate crisis is no longer just an environmental issue—it’s a critical threat to human survival. An independent pan-European commission on climate and health, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), has concluded that the scale of the crisis demands a formal declaration of a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC).

This recommendation isn’t just about terminology. A PHEIC is the highest level of health alert the WHO can issue, previously used for infectious diseases like Covid-19 and Mpox. While a declaration won’t reverse global heating on its own, it would trigger the coordinated international response necessary to address a crisis that is already filling hospitals and shortening lives.

The Health Risks of a Warming Planet

The commission’s report highlights a devastating array of health threats that make a PHEIC necessary. These aren’t future projections; they’re current realities. The primary drivers include:

• Vector-Borne Diseases: The international spread of diseases such as dengue and chikungunya is accelerating as changing climates allow vectors to move into new regions.
• Extreme Weather: Increased frequencies of floods and prolonged heatwaves are causing direct mortality and straining emergency services.
• Environmental Hazards: Air pollution from wildfires and general global heating are contributing to higher rates of preterm births and respiratory issues.
• Resource Insecurity: Food insecurity is rising, threatening the basic nutritional needs of millions.

Sir Andrew Haines, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the commission’s chief scientific adviser, warns that if current emission rates continue, these risks will only accelerate for both current and future generations.

The Lethal Cost of Fossil Fuel Subsidies

One of the most damning findings in the report is the contradiction between government spending and public health. The commission urges governments to immediately stop subsidizing fossil fuels, which they identify as a “public health failure.”

In Europe alone, fossil fuel subsidies are directly responsible for 600,000 premature deaths every year. The financial scale of this contradiction is staggering:

• The region spends approximately €444bn (£387bn) annually on oil and gas production subsidies.
• In 12 European countries, these subsidies exceeded 10% of national health expenditure in 2023.
• In four countries, fossil fuel subsidies actually exceeded the entire national health budget.

Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former prime minister of Iceland and chair of the commission, emphasizes that European governments are effectively subsidizing the very industries responsible for the premature deaths of their own citizens.

Strengthening Healthcare Resilience

The report points out a systemic irony: the healthcare sector itself accounts for 5% of global emissions. To combat this, the commission argues that healthcare systems must prioritize adaptation to become more resilient.

Many hospitals were designed before the current climate reality and are ill-equipped for the future. Key vulnerabilities include:

• Location: Many health facilities are situated on floodplains, making them susceptible to extreme weather events.
• Infrastructure: A lack of energy efficiency makes buildings struggle during extreme heatwaves, even in temperate countries like the UK.

The commission insists that every country must assess the flood risk and heatwave readiness of its health facilities to prevent systemic collapse during climate disasters.

Beyond Physical Health: Mental Health and Disinformation

The climate crisis is also a mental health crisis. The report calls for the recognition of the anxiety, stress, and psychological trauma driven by environmental instability. Jakobsdóttir suggests that the best way to fight climate skepticism and misinformation is to “make it personal,” highlighting that climate change is shortening lives in European cities right now.

By framing clean air, sustainable food, and insulated homes as health policies rather than just environmental ones, the commission believes it will become much harder for opponents to argue against necessary changes.

A Moral Imperative

Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, describes the move toward climate action as a “moral imperative.” He notes that the decisions made by governments today will directly determine the disease burden carried by children currently in primary school.

As the world moves toward the WHO’s world health assembly, the message from the commission is clear: the climate argument and the health argument are now the same argument. Failing to act is no longer just an environmental oversight—it’s a failure of global public health.