Sep 16, 2025
Justice, News
“Public health emergency”: Report shows fossil fuel impacts on every stage of life
The Global Climate and Health Alliance documents how fossil fuel extraction and use harms people throughout their lives, with the worst effects on marginalised groups
A man and his grandchild wear masks against Shanghai smog in China, December 25, 2013. A new report says children are among the most affected by the health harms produced by fossil fuels. (Photo: Oriental Image via Reuters Connect)
Fossil fuels affect all stages of human life, with their consequences starting even before the fuels are burned – releasing climate-heating gases and other pollutants – and extending long after, according to a new report by the Global Climate and Health Alliance.
The effects of fossil fuel extraction and use are also unevenly distributed, the report says, impacting marginalised groups including Indigenous peoples, racial minorities and low-income populations the most, and exacerbating other pre-existing health inequalities in those vulnerable communities.
Published this Tuesday, the flagship report compiles more than 600 scientific citations, case studies from around the world, and testimonials from affected communities and health professionals in every region, from oil spills in Nigeria to coal pollution in India and gas extraction in the United States.
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/09/16/public-health-emergency-report-shows-fossil-fuel-impacts-on-every-stage-of-life/
