Climate Effects Trail Inequality Hotspots as the least GHG-contributing Countries suffer the most and Women are the most vulnerable
Quality healthcare requires the use of energy, products, services, and infrastructure, all of which contribute to GHG emissions. Equally, fossil fuels still provide 80% of global energy, 26% from Coal, and 68% of household energy from polluting fuels. Due to the global energy and economic crises, 100 million people risk returning to biomass for fuel, and many countries risk (are already) turning to coal. Agricultural sector emissions add to the problem, increasing by 22% from 2000 to 2020. While the use of renewable energies is increasing, the pace is still insufficient to curb increasing emissions from growing fossil fuel use. Global patterns of access to and deployment of renewable energy technologies, with low HDI countries left behind in the transition, contrast sharply with the availability of natural renewable energy resources.
Evidence shows that LMICs contributed the least to GHG emissions but suffered the most from Climate Change effects on their livelihoods and health. The most vulnerable LMIC populations are women (and children) who are also economically disadvantaged and resource-deprived.
Global healthcare accounted for 4·6% of total GHG emissions, with healthcare-associated PM2·5 and Ozone responsible for millions of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Air pollution associated with healthcare delivery and supply chain led to ~4 million DALYs in 2020, >50% of these health harms were due to healthcare activities in China and 12% in the US.
The climate-agriculture-gender inequality hotspot risk index captures the convergence of climate hazards, exposure, and vulnerability due to gender inequalities faced by women in agri-food systems. Each country’s risk is based on these indicators, with the resulting ‘hotness’ score showing LMIC climate risks on women in agriculture in the different regions.