Keeping the global temperature increase within the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement will happen only if we rapidly phase out fossil fuels, the letter notes, adding that failure to do so can “lead to overwhelming health consequences".
This year, for the first time in the history of COPs, health is on the agenda. One day, December 3, will be dedicated to discussions on health alone.
This is because combustion of fossil fuels adds to carbon emissions that accelerate global warming and cause climate change. The latter also manifests in extreme weather events such as intense heat waves that are a threat to the health of both human and non-human species. Fossil fuel use also releases pollutants into the air, and these are known to cause direct impacts on human health. One of the pollutants is particulate matter (PM, or solid inhalable particles ranging from fine diameters of 2.5 mm to larger ones of 10 mm) and these are known to cause public health issues ranging from respiratory illnesses to cancers. According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution – which fossil fuels and other pollutants contribute – causes 7 million premature deaths annually.
“A full and rapid phase-out of fossil fuels is the most significant way to provide the clean air, water, and environment that are foundational to good health,” the letter said,
02/11/2023