GBSH Deputy Director Prof. Julie Davies shares the impact of climate change on health and business

“It has estimated that between 2030 to 2050, there will be around a quarter of a million additional deaths annually because of climate-related increases in diarrhea, heat stress, malaria and malnutrition alone. The healthcare sector is responsible for almost 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions with a carbon footprint equivalent to 514 coal-fired power plants.

GBSH Deputy Director Professor Julie Davies shares the impact that climate change has on health and business and how to navigate this crisis.

Clearly, extreme hot or cold temperatures lead to greater risks of lung and heart disease, and extreme heat and sun exposure leads to increased skin cancer cases. Air pollution, exacerbated by wildfires, affects conditions like asthma and results in hospitalization. Global warming and increased rainfall help to spread diseases such as dengue and malaria.

Julie then goes on to discuss the business costs, stating that "The direct costs of climate change to health will be huge—around US$2-4bn annually by 2030. These include fires and floods damaging property and closing businesses. Indirect costs are incurred by weather extremes disrupting supply chains."

As a way to move foward, Prof. Julie Davies states that "this problem was not created overnight, and it is going to take a coordinated, deliberate long term effort to find a way out of the environmental problems mankind has created. We must all work together to find a solution."

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