India should take the lead on climate change issues
Unless the world transitions to a lowcarbon economy, global warming will weaken the viability of health systems
The global climate is changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilisation — a point made clear by the latest National Climate Assessment from the US Government published last week. The consequences of a warming planet are extensive and drawn-out,affecting the economy, ecology and health. The nature and scale of the response to climate change will shape the health profile of nations for centuries to come. The impacts of existing climate change is placed in stark contrast by recent analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, focusing on extreme weather events and other unusual phenomenon witnessed across the planet.
The Lancet Countdown is a multidisciplinary research collaboration between 27 leading academic institutions around the world. It is motivated by the idea that the response to climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century. Conversely, the failure to act could undo 50 years of public health gains.
For India, the data is clear in our 2018 Assessment, Shaping the Health of Nations for Centuries to Come: unless the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, climate change will undermine the very viability of health systems across the globe.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 97% of major cities in low and middle income countries do not meet safe air quality guidelines. Our research indicates that exposure to ambient air pollution has resulted in some 3 million premature deaths per year globally, with over half a million of these occurring in India.
Declining air quality correlates with increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory disorders, such as asthma and COPD. WHO rankings of air quality have shown that Indian cities are among the most polluted in the world.
As the sixth largest economy in the world, India’s need for further economic growth is clear. This development will be most effective when coordinated with sustainability and climate action. A carbon intensive economy leads not only to poor air quality and high emissions, but a rise in extreme heat. In 2017, India experienced over 75 billion total hours of labour lost due to intense heat. This is 48.8% of the total global loss and 7% of India’s total working population. The recent floods in Kerala were described as the “worst flood [the state has seen] in a hundred years” and resulted in 1% loss of the state’s GDP.
Outdated fossil fuel economies will only accelerate global warming and the spread of disease. Continuing to phase out coal demand is clearly crucial in meeting the target of the Paris Agreement. There has been a downward trend in coal consumption around the world, growth in India was 2.4% in 2016, which represents a decrease from previous years. Increases in renewable energy installation in recent years have doubled that of their fossil fuel counterparts, with indicators of investment proving that a transition to clean energy is already underway.
Our report found, for the first time, that coal use accounts for nearly 16% of deaths globally due to ambient air pollution from fine particulates. Reversing this trend will require political will to make the transition.
India is well placed to take action on climate change, and has voluntarily embarked on a path of higher ambition. Yet, the state of global climate is by definition one that requires collective international effort. The Conference of Parties (COP 24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Katowice, Poland, next week. Agreeing on robust guidelines to implement the Paris Agreement is essential in solidifying commitments made so far. India can and should take a lead as a country with a lot at stake.