The newly released European State of the Climate 2024 annual report (ESOTC), co-published by the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation program and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), confirms what public health experts have long warned about: the health costs of climate change in Europe are rising fast, and so is the human toll.
By Weronika Michalak, Director of HEAL Poland
As the urgency to act on the triple crisis – climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss – becomes increasingly clear, I hope that the Polish Presidency of the European Union, which began on 1st January this year, will set the course for decisive EU climate and environmental policies aimed at protecting people’s health across Europe. The decisions that EU policymakers make in the coming years, and even months, will determine the future of us all.
The year 2024 was the hottest in recorded history, with global temperatures for the first time surpassing the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels – the very level that climate mitigation measures were supposed to prevent. It is therefore not surprising that the health impacts of climate change and extreme weather events are increasingly visible – also in Poland.
According to the latest report from the World Economic Forum, the triple crisis is the greatest environmental threat of the coming decade. Last year, the first European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) confirmed that Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world.”
A commitment to public health in the context of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss means, in practice, striving to raise, not lower, the EU’s climate and environmental goals and measures. This includes ensuring continued EU funding to implement legislations and measures to address this crisis.
Health at the centre of EU decisions
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change can lead to numerous health impacts, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases caused by heat waves, threats to food security, and mental health problems. Rising global temperatures may also further the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, malaria, and dengue, even in areas previously free of such threats. Climate change also exacerbates allergies, leading to longer and more intense pollen seasons.
In addition, air quality in Poland is particularly poor. Climate change and air pollution are connected through the burning of fossil fuels – primarily coal in our country. Awareness of the health consequences of air pollution – such as respiratory, cardiovascular diseases, strokes, or cancers – from smog has significantly increased in recent years. New scientific evidence highlights that simultaneous exposure to heat and air pollution increases mortality among those suffering from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Harmful chemicals found in everyday products, food, water, and soil also threaten people’s health. Climate change and chemical pollution are also interlinked: the melting of Arctic Sea ice releases substances known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The latest Eurobarometer data indicates that 84% of Polish citizens (and the same percentage across Europe) are concerned about the impact of harmful chemicals on health. The reasons for concern are evident, as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) can cause hormonal disorders, cancer, and negatively affect children’s development. In view of this and the increasing body of evidence, HEAL is organising an international conference on ‘Preventing diseases by reducing exposure to harmful chemicals’ in Warsaw on 10 June.
Public health should be a priority in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.”
The severe effects of climate change, pollution of air, water, soil, and food, affect all of us, but they are most keenly felt by vulnerable groups. These include children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and those facing socio-economic inequalities. These vulnerable groups should be the focus of public policies.
Investing in health means investing in the future
Pollution and climate change (increasing heat waves, droughts, and floods) already generate enormous costs for the economy, which are being paid by society. The cost of inaction on the triple crisis costs us more than efforts to mitigate and adapt. Slowing down or weakening efforts to address pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss will only result in more health costs both in the short and long term.
So, what solutions are there? First and foremost, protecting the health of everyone from the the combined challenges of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss requires implementing preventative actions, such as urgently moving away from fossil fuels towards renewable energies, while ensuring a just transition. For achieving clean air everywhere, it is particularly important to effectively implement the provisions of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive within the next two years.
The World Bank’s October 2024 report indicates that accelerating decarbonisation in Poland to achieve zero emissions by 2050 could lead to significant improvements in public health, environmental quality, and an increase in Poland’s GDP by up to 4%.”
The Polish Presidency in the EU is also a crucial moment to set priorities for the coming years, in connection with the revision of the EU budget. It is important that, from 2028 onwards, funding for environmental and climate measures to safeguard health remains a priority within the new budget.
Strengthening disease prevention rather than deregulation
Climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss require urgent and decisive political action. In 2023, the health and environmental ministers of the WHO European region committed to taking strong actions to protect public health from the triple crisis in the Budapest Declaration and Action Plan.
HEAL and hundreds of organisations across the European Union are concerned about the new approach of high-level EU decision-makers who want to strengthen “competitiveness through simplification.” Food safety, public health, social protection, workers’ rights, animal welfare, and environmental protection are not regulatory burdens – they are the foundation of a just, functioning, and resilient society. Independent experts and civil society play a key role in emphasising the importance of science and countering disinformation. They also represent the voice of vulnerable groups.
The health of citizens is one of the most important resources of a well-functioning state.”
We hope that the Polish government will recognise the important link between healthy people and a productive, resilient society, and will take decisive, effective actions to tackle environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and the climate crisis, treating environmental health as one of the key priorities of the Polish EU Presidency.
HEAL Poland website (in Polish): healpolska.pl
Contact: Weronika Michalak, weronika@env-health.org, +48 782 466 881
