London:Climate change has been identified as a 'global health emergency' due to the increasing health risks posed by rising temperatures, extreme drought, and other climate-related threats, as highlighted in a new Lancet study.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the 2026 Lancet Countdown report was led by University College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The study reveals that climate-related health risks are accelerating despite advancements since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The report involved 146 researchers from over 100 institutions and found that heat contributed to more than 540,000 deaths annually between 2016 and 2023, with 68% attributed to climate change. In 2023 alone, heat was linked to approximately 710,000 deaths, more than 71% of which were due to climate change.

Extreme heat was estimated to have caused more than $1 trillion in lost potential income worldwide in 2025, marking the third consecutive year this threshold was exceeded. Additionally, the report found that more than half of the world's land experienced extreme drought for at least one month in 2025.

The researchers noted that global clean energy investment reached $2.1 trillion in 2025, but fossil fuels still accounted for more than 80% of the global energy supply. The study urges governments and international institutions to prioritize climate-related health risks, accelerate emissions reductions, and enhance global cooperation.