Health effects of climate change highlighted in Paris Agreement

The United Nations’ Paris agreement on climate change has put health at the centre of the effort to control global warming and has sent a message to all countries saying that a reduction in fossil fuel burning will reduce illness.

The agreement, which binds countries to hold temperature rises to “well below” 2°C, was welcomed by the World Health Organization and thousands of health professionals.

Health is mentioned three times in the core text of the agreement, which refers to the “co-benefits” of tackling health and climate change at the same time.

Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, said, “Many of the same inefficient and …