The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future

Elsevier, The Lancet, 20th October 2021

The Lancet Countdown is an international collaboration that independently monitors the health consequences of a changing climate. Publishing updated, new, and improved indicators each year, the Lancet Countdown represents the consensus of leading researchers from 43 academic institutions and UN agencies. The 44 indicators of this report expose an unabated rise in the health impacts of climate change and the current health consequences of the delayed and inconsistent response of countries around the globe—providing a clear imperative for accelerated action that puts the health of people and planet above all else.

"Leaders of the world have an unprecedented opportunity to deliver a future of improved health, reduced inequality, and economic and environmental sustainability, However, this will only be possible if the world acts together to ensure that no person is left behind."

The Lancet has highlighted the need for urgent action to integrate climate action with existing pandemic recovery plans in its latest report “Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a health future.” It is the largest annual study of the impacts of climate change on human health and has warned that the health hazards faced by people, such as infectious diseases, may worsen due to the growing climate crisis. The Lancet also writes that climate change is "the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21st century, but it is also the greatest opportunity to redefine the social and environmental determinants of health."

Interactive: Explore the data of the 2021 report