Can save $5.11 trillion in healthcare costs if climate change goals met: WHO

The health benefits far outweigh the economic cost when meeting climate change goals, said a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday during the ongoing 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The organization said in the meeting held in Poland that climate change has a serious impact on human lives and health as exposure to air pollution causes seven million deaths worldwide every year, costing an estimated 5.11 trillion U.S. dollars in welfare losses globally. The report calls on countries to consider health in analyzing the cost-effectiveness of climate change mitigation. It also guides countries to maximize the health benefits brought by improved climate conditions.