How does climate change affect people's health in the UK?
Author(s)
Jennings, Neil
Lawrance, Emma
Dorigatti, Illaria
Type
Report
Abstract
Key points
• Climate change is already impacting the physical and mental health of people in the UK.
• Health impacts include an increase in deaths during periods of extreme heat, an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder for people affected by flooding and an increased risk of certain infectious diseases including Lyme disease.
• People aged over 65 years old, those on lower incomes, ethnic minorities and people with preexisting health conditions (e.g. heart disease) are at greater risk of these health impacts.
• The health impacts of climate change will increase in the absence of sufficient mitigation of greenhouse gases and adaptation to a warming climate.
This briefing outlines how people’s health is directly and indirectly affected by climate change and what can be done to reduce these impacts.
• Climate change is already impacting the physical and mental health of people in the UK.
• Health impacts include an increase in deaths during periods of extreme heat, an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder for people affected by flooding and an increased risk of certain infectious diseases including Lyme disease.
• People aged over 65 years old, those on lower incomes, ethnic minorities and people with preexisting health conditions (e.g. heart disease) are at greater risk of these health impacts.
• The health impacts of climate change will increase in the absence of sufficient mitigation of greenhouse gases and adaptation to a warming climate.
This briefing outlines how people’s health is directly and indirectly affected by climate change and what can be done to reduce these impacts.
Date Issued
2024-10-21
Citation
Grantham Institute background briefing, 2024, pp.1-6
Publisher
Imperial Grantham Institute
Start Page
1
End Page
6
Journal / Book Title
Grantham Institute background briefing
Copyright Statement
o © 2024 The authors, produced for The Grantham Institute. This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No-Derivatives 4.0 International License. This license permits all or part of the work to be copied and shared with others, provided that the original authors and source are credited.
Publication Status
Published