The Lancet Countdown Europe will present its 2026 report on health and climate change on April 22, warning that Europe's reliance on fossil fuels is increasing both economic vulnerability and serious health threats. The event will be held at Heidelberg University and livestreamed for the public.
The report highlights concerns about growing air pollution, heat damage, and the spread of infectious diseases linked to climate change. These issues are attributed to continued fossil fuel use across the continent. The launch aims to inform policy makers, researchers, and the public about these challenges while also sharing examples of effective climate action.
The Lancet Countdown Europe is a research collaboration involving 65 experts from academic institutions and United Nations organizations. Established in 2021 as a regional center of the global Lancet Countdown, it tracks connections between health and climate change in Europe across five domains: health risks and impacts; adaptation and mitigation actions; economy and finance; as well as engagement with societal actors. This third annual report features a total of 43 indicators covering these areas.
"We are seeing very clearly that fossil-fuel driven climate change constitutes a growing threat to the health of an ever greater number of people in Europe," Prof. Dr Joacim Rocklöv said. He added that there are positive examples showing progress: "A host of steps being taken nationally and locally allow us to hope that the climate crisis can be contained and its impacts reduced." Rocklöv has co-chaired this research collaboration since 2024 alongside Prof. Dr Cathryn Tonne.
The event will begin with an opening by Prof. Dr Michael Boutros, Dean of Heidelberg University's Medical Faculty, followed by presentations from Rocklöv, Tonne, Aleksandra Kazmierczak from the European Environment Agency, Francesca Racioppi from WHO's European Centre for Environment and Health, as well as experts from Germany's Robert Koch Institute, Austria's Competence Centre for Climate & Health, France's Agence Nationale de Santé Publique among others. They will discuss recent rises in climate-related infectious diseases in their countries.
A panel discussion including policy-makers at various levels will focus on how successful measures for both climate action and public health protection can be implemented going forward.
