Climate change poses a serious risk not only in terms of direct economic costs, losses and damages resulting from extreme weather events, or the disruption of particularly vulnerable sectors such as agriculture. The rise in average global temperature also raises pressing questions about human health. Yet, if governments handle the issue correctly, it is possible not only to respond to the threats, but also to turn a crisis into an opportunity to improve the wellbeing of populations.

WHO: "The window to avoid irreversible damage on climate is shrinking"

This is explained by an analysis published by the World Health Organization (WHO), produced by an independent commission made up of former heads of government, representatives of international organisations and civil society, and chaired by former Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir. According to the document, Europe finds itself in a particularly difficult situation, as it is on our continent that the pace of global warming appears markedly faster than the global average. So much so that, the text specifies, "the window to avoid irreversible damage is now shrinking".

Green Climate Fund @theGCF

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@WHO's accreditation to GCF opens new pathways to scale climate finance for more resilient health systems.

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♥ 37💬 5 18 mag 2026 · Apri su X →

Consequently, the message sent to policymakers is unequivocal: "Climate change is not a future threat that can simply be managed. It represents an immediate and growing crisis that simultaneously affects health, food, water, energy and national security. And the responses provided so far are not equal to the emergency."

Economic systems must be transformed: "Today, rules and capital are heading in the wrong direction"

To facilitate concrete and immediate action, the commission has accordingly proposed seventeen recommendations: from treating climate change as a direct threat to public health, to transforming health systems; from strengthening action at the local level to reforming the economic and financial systems that are at the root of the climate crisis. Above all, the climate variable must be integrated into all national policies — not only energy policies, but also financial, defence and, of course, health policies.

WHO/Europe @WHO_Europe

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Health facilities have a huge environmental footprint.

And health workers are too rarely trained on the impact of #ClimateChange on our health.

That needs to change.

Here is how, as suggested by the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health #PECCH.

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The WHO thus confirms that climate warming is the product of a development model incompatible with the very "structure" of the Earth: a system that, in its drive to maximise profits at any cost, continues to exploit fossil fuels that feed the crisis, to deforest, to pollute, leading to a dramatic decline in biodiversity. Today, explains the international organisation, "the rules, financial means and political priorities are all heading in the wrong direction".

"The climate crisis is a threat to our security, our social cohesion, human rights and health", Jakobsdottir recalled. "Climate action is not only a necessity: it is a highly profitable investment towards a fairer and more resilient society. We have the political and moral responsibility to act now."

Acting against climate change means saving money and protecting health

On the other hand, the WHO reminds us that "air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels causes the death of hundreds of thousands of people in Europe every year. The same fossil fuels that underlie the climate crisis and make energy systems vulnerable to disruptions related to supply chains and price spikes". And furthermore: "The costs of inaction far outweigh those required for climate change mitigation and adaptation".

In other words, acting against global warming means saving money, improving the wellbeing of populations and protecting public health. There is therefore no reason not to do so: "Governments are still spending billions to subsidise the fuels that are fuelling the climate crisis. This commission sends a clear message to leaders: act while it is still possible to do so", commented WHO Europe Director Hans Henri P. Kluge.

The Climate Watch @tcwsouthasia

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Experts urge WHO to declare climate change international public health emergency

Read more: theclimatewatch.com/experts-urge-w…

♥ 3 18 mag 2026 · Apri su X →

According to the international organisation, a paradigm shift is needed: until now, health regulations have been designed to respond to time-limited emergencies, as in the case of epidemics. This is precisely the crux of the problem, the commission explains: "We must officially declare a state of emergency due to climate change. Without this step, the issue cannot be treated as a chronic, underlying problem".

The call to declare a climate and health emergency, and to move beyond GDP

Among the recommendations sent to governments are, among other things, the need to provide mandatory training for healthcare personnel on the impacts of the climate crisis, to take into account the consequences on mental health, as well as the integration of climate indicators in the performance assessment of national health systems.

But there is more: the panel of experts also calls for a rethinking of the fundamental concepts that govern our economies, starting with Gross Domestic Product, which currently accounts for the consumption of fossil fuels as economic "output" — completely ignoring the health costs associated with pollution, climate disasters, and the wellbeing of future generations. GDP is, in fact, a purely quantitative indicator, in which one euro generated by burning coal is entirely equivalent to one euro generated by a solar installation. And yet, to this day it is through Gross Domestic Product that everyone — national governments, the European Union — assesses whether an economy is "working" or not.