Adding Up the Cost of Climate Change in Lost Lives

Scorching heat waves have gripped the world in recent weeks from the Pacific Northwest to Northern Europe and, most tragically, Japan, where more than 100 mostly elderly people have died. The usual caveat applies: no single event can be specifically tied to climate change. Nonetheless, it offers an unsettling preview of what may be in store for the coming century. Just how much should the world worry? Optimists often note that most countries will be richer by the end of this century, and societies are adaptable, both of which ought to reduce the harm from a warming climate. But an exhaustive new study focusing only on heat-related damage reaches a sobering conclusion: by the year 2099, even with economic growth and adaptation, 1.5 million more people will die each year around the world because of increased heat. By comparison, 1.25 million people died in 2013 in all traffic accidents world-wide. This report analyzes the Impact Lab's new working paper on climate repercussions of temperature-related mortality.