Climate and COVID-19: converging crises

The climate crisis is still raging. A year ago, news headlines were dominated by the youth movement and a sense of urgency. But COVID-19 has displaced that interest awareness. In fact, causes both crises share commonalities, their effects are converging. emergency COVID-19, zoonotic disease, borne human activity led to environmental degradation. Neither nor pandemic unexpected. Both have preventable loss lives through actions delayed, insufficient, or mistaken. However, aligning responses presents an opportunity improve public health, create sustainable economic future, better protect planet's remaining natural resources biodiversity. That health change interwoven widely accepted, with extensive evidence interactions. For past 5 years, Lancet Countdown on Health Climate Change monitored reported more than 40 global indicators measure impact our changing health. newly published 2020 report includes novel heat-related mortality, migration population displacement, urban green spaces, low-carbon diets, costs labour capacity due extreme heat. breadth deepened scientific understanding how affects puts stress systems. This manifested in, for example, air pollution leading asthma, challenges food security reduced crop yield potentially poor limited access space increasing risk factors mental conditions, vulnerability heat in people older 65 years. Treating these resultant conditions effectively depends systems' capacity, which turn dependent resilience services increasingly stretched response two crises. years also consolidated importance regional data inform country-level policy. To end, Public first Asia chapter Countdown, joining third annual publication Australian MJA-Lancet Countdown. As largest carbon emitter home fifth world's (1·4 billion people), China's crucial at national international levels. key findings lead call province-targeted face accelerating risks rising temperatures. 23 show although impressive improvements been made across several sectors, potential improving tackling can already be seen, gap substantial. Curbing drivers will help suppress emergence re-emergence diseases likely intensive farming, trade exotic animals, increased encroachment into wildlife habitats, increase likelihood contact between disease. Increased travel urbanisation higher density encourage rapid spread zoonoses once they spill over population. These important role as determinants exposed fact poorest most marginalised society, such migrants refugee populations, always vulnerable shocks. With regard change, those impacted extremes usually contributed least root crisis. year's finds no country immune avoidable arising from widening inequalities, every indicator following worsening trend. slipped top agenda because political indifference need deal immediacies COVID-19. Paris Agreement, seizing refocus interests sustainability offers co-benefits protecting future environment, planetary governments embark recovery plans wake concerns equity rightly focused recovery. transition clean energy sources needed, ending stranglehold fossil fuels. Decisions being now must tackle together ensure effective each. China changeLeft unmitigated, poses catastrophic requiring urgent concerted country. one dioxide globally, interventions pivotal importance, planet. Similar other countries, mitigation adaptation would bring immense benefits 1·4 people, building considerations any strategy detailed pathway fulfil 2060 neutrality pledge it improves wellbeing, future. Full-Text PDF Open AccessThe change: responding converging crisesFor Chinese, French, German, Spanish translations abstract see Supplementary Materials section.