UN Climate Chief Stiell: Climate Crisis a Health Emergency on a Pandemic Scale

United Nations (UN) Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell stated at the COP31 summit held in Antalya, Turkey, that the climate crisis has now become a global health emergency on a pandemic scale.

World leaders and experts gathered in Antalya for the UN COP31 summit held from November 9-20. UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell stated that climate change, ranging from air pollution to extreme heat, poses a growing threat to human health and that disasters are shaking infrastructure. Stiell noted that countries must choose between reorganizing economic systems for the electric age or resigning themselves to the ongoing costs caused by fossil fuels.

According to the Lancet Countdown 2026 report, human-induced climate change and fossil fuels are linked to an estimated 3.3 million deaths each year through outdoor air pollution and extreme heat. According to the World Meteorological Organization report published on November 9, the past 12 years have been the warmest period on record, with the last four years—including 2026—ranking among the four warmest years yet. Temperature increases elevate the risks of drought, heavy rainfall, heat-related illnesses, wildfire smoke, food insecurity, and vector-borne diseases such as cholera, malaria, and dengue.

Stiell emphasized that climate risks amplify vulnerabilities in health systems and that health must be at the center of climate action. Adding that adaptation plans must answer critical questions such as clinic accessibility during heat waves, access to safe water, and early detection of outbreaks, Stiell stated that no health system can be made resilient on its own to a world that is warming endlessly.