WHO says six climate measures could prevent 1.6 million deaths

The World Health Organization says scaling up six climate and health measures worldwide could prevent 1.6 million deaths each year, or about one in every 40 deaths, while bringing substantial economic and fiscal benefits. The figures are projections from a WHO report released November 4, not observed results. The measures are heat-health warning systems; climate-resilient drinking-water services; basic sanitation, hygiene and handwashing; cleaner household fuels and cooking and heating technologies; and more efficient fossil-fuel pricing policies. WHO is urging governments to expand their use as countries prepare for climate negotiations at COP31. The report estimates the six measures could generate $3.9 trillion in annual economic-welfare benefits and $5.4 trillion in annual fiscal benefits. It also projects they could avert 16.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to 31% of global annual greenhouse-gas emissions excluding land use, land-use change and forestry. Fossil-fuel pricing policies account for the largest modeled gains, WHO said. The agency estimates these policies could prevent 1.2 million deaths annually and produce $3 trillion in yearly...