Rapid climate action is needed: comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality

Fulden Batibeniz; Sonia I. Seneviratne; Srinidhi Jha; Andreia Ribeiro; Laura Suarez Gutierrez; Christoph C. Raible; Avni Malhotra; Ben Armstrong; Michelle L. Bell; Eric Lavigne; Antonio Gasparrini; Yuming Guo; Masahiro Hashizume; Pierre Masselot; Susana Pereira da Silva; Dominic Royé; Francesco Sera; Shilu Tong; Aleš Urban; Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-82788-8

Rapid climate action is needed: comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality

Fulden Batibeniz, Sonia I. Seneviratne, Srinidhi Jha, Andreia Ribeiro, Laura Suarez Gutierrez, Christoph C. Raible, Avni Malhotra, Ben Armstrong, Michelle L. Bell, Eric Lavigne, Antonio Gasparrini, Yuming Guo, Masahiro Hashizume, Pierre Masselot, Susana Pereira da Silva, Dominic Royé, Francesco Sera, Shilu Tong, Aleš Urban, Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The impacts of climate change on human health are often underestimated or perceived to be in a distant future. Here, we present the projected impacts of climate change in the context of COVID-19, a recent human health catastrophe. We compared projected heat mortality with COVID-19 deaths in 38 cities worldwide and found that in half of these cities, heat-related deaths could exceed annual COVID-19 deaths in less than ten years (at + 3.0 °C increase in global warming relative to preindustrial). In seven of these cities, heat mortality could exceed COVID-19 deaths in less than five years. Our results underscore the crucial need for climate action and for the integration of climate change into public health discourse and policy.

Original language	English
Article number	1002
Number of pages	8
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	15
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82788-8
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 13 Climate Action

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Batibeniz, F., Seneviratne, S. I., Jha, S., Ribeiro, A., Suarez Gutierrez, L., Raible, C. C., Malhotra, A., Armstrong, B., Bell, M. L., Lavigne, E., Gasparrini, A., Guo, Y., Hashizume, M., Masselot, P., da Silva, S. P., Royé, D., Sera, F., Tong, S., Urban, A., & Vicedo-Cabrera, A. M. (2025). Rapid climate action is needed: comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 1002. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82788-8

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title = "Rapid climate action is needed: comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality",

abstract = "The impacts of climate change on human health are often underestimated or perceived to be in a distant future. Here, we present the projected impacts of climate change in the context of COVID-19, a recent human health catastrophe. We compared projected heat mortality with COVID-19 deaths in 38 cities worldwide and found that in half of these cities, heat-related deaths could exceed annual COVID-19 deaths in less than ten years (at + 3.0 °C increase in global warming relative to preindustrial). In seven of these cities, heat mortality could exceed COVID-19 deaths in less than five years. Our results underscore the crucial need for climate action and for the integration of climate change into public health discourse and policy.",

author = "Fulden Batibeniz and Seneviratne, \{Sonia I.\} and Srinidhi Jha and Andreia Ribeiro and \{Suarez Gutierrez\}, Laura and Raible, \{Christoph C.\} and Avni Malhotra and Ben Armstrong and Bell, \{Michelle L.\} and Eric Lavigne and Antonio Gasparrini and Yuming Guo and Masahiro Hashizume and Pierre Masselot and \{da Silva\}, \{Susana Pereira\} and Dominic Roy{\'e} and Francesco Sera and Shilu Tong and Ale{\v s} Urban and Vicedo-Cabrera, \{Ana M.\}",

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doi = "10.1038/s41598-024-82788-8",

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Batibeniz, F, Seneviratne, SI, Jha, S, Ribeiro, A, Suarez Gutierrez, L, Raible, CC, Malhotra, A, Armstrong, B, Bell, ML, Lavigne, E, Gasparrini, A, Guo, Y, Hashizume, M, Masselot, P, da Silva, SP, Royé, D, Sera, F, Tong, S, Urban, A & Vicedo-Cabrera, AM 2025, 'Rapid climate action is needed: comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality', Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 1, 1002. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82788-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rapid climate action is needed

T2 - comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality

AU - Batibeniz, Fulden

AU - Seneviratne, Sonia I.

AU - Jha, Srinidhi

AU - Ribeiro, Andreia

AU - Suarez Gutierrez, Laura

AU - Raible, Christoph C.

AU - Malhotra, Avni

AU - Armstrong, Ben

AU - Bell, Michelle L.

AU - Lavigne, Eric

AU - Gasparrini, Antonio

AU - Guo, Yuming

AU - Hashizume, Masahiro

AU - Masselot, Pierre

AU - da Silva, Susana Pereira

AU - Royé, Dominic

AU - Sera, Francesco

AU - Tong, Shilu

AU - Urban, Aleš

AU - Vicedo-Cabrera, Ana M.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - The impacts of climate change on human health are often underestimated or perceived to be in a distant future. Here, we present the projected impacts of climate change in the context of COVID-19, a recent human health catastrophe. We compared projected heat mortality with COVID-19 deaths in 38 cities worldwide and found that in half of these cities, heat-related deaths could exceed annual COVID-19 deaths in less than ten years (at + 3.0 °C increase in global warming relative to preindustrial). In seven of these cities, heat mortality could exceed COVID-19 deaths in less than five years. Our results underscore the crucial need for climate action and for the integration of climate change into public health discourse and policy.

AB - The impacts of climate change on human health are often underestimated or perceived to be in a distant future. Here, we present the projected impacts of climate change in the context of COVID-19, a recent human health catastrophe. We compared projected heat mortality with COVID-19 deaths in 38 cities worldwide and found that in half of these cities, heat-related deaths could exceed annual COVID-19 deaths in less than ten years (at + 3.0 °C increase in global warming relative to preindustrial). In seven of these cities, heat mortality could exceed COVID-19 deaths in less than five years. Our results underscore the crucial need for climate action and for the integration of climate change into public health discourse and policy.

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ER -

Rapid climate action is needed: comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality

Abstract

UN SDGs

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