Published : 07 Nov 2026, 06:27 PM
Updated : 07 Nov 2026, 06:27 PM
Could better warnings before heatwaves, access to safe drinking water and cleaner cooking fuels help save 1.6 million lives every year?
The World Health Organization (WHO) says they could, alongside three other measures, if governments expand their use worldwide.
The UN health agency's latest report puts the potential annual economic benefits at $3.9 trillion, with another $5.4 trillion in government revenue.
The measures could also help avoid 16.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to 31 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry.
The six proposed interventions are heat-health warning systems, climate-resilient drinking-water services, basic sanitation, hygiene and handwashing facilities, cleaner household fuels and technologies for cooking and heating, and more efficient fossil fuel pricing policies.
The agency's analysis suggests that every dollar invested in five of the measures could yield $24 in benefits. Heat-health warning systems offer the highest return, bringing an estimated $835 for every dollar spent.
Fossil fuel pricing reforms could deliver the largest overall gains. Removing inefficient subsidies and introducing appropriate taxes could prevent 1.2 million deaths annually, while generating $3 trillion in economic welfare benefits and $5.4 trillion in government revenue.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said many health impacts of climate change could be prevented with solutions already available.
The report, “Global benefits and costs of prioritized actions on climate change and health”, was released ahead of COP31, where governments are expected to share their climate commitments.
