Overview
- The report estimates an average 546,000 heat-related deaths annually in 2012–2021, a 23% rise since the 1990s—roughly one every minute.
- Wildfire smoke was linked to a record 154,000 deaths in 2024, as hotter, drier conditions intensified fires globally.
- Exposure to high temperatures caused a record 639 billion lost labor hours in 2024, with losses equal to about 6% of GDP in the least developed countries.
- Governments delivered about $956 billion in direct fossil‑fuel subsidies in 2023 while major producers raised output plans to levels three times those compatible with 1.5°C, supported by $611 billion in bank lending last year.
- The authors call for rapid clean‑energy deployment and stronger, better‑financed adaptation to shield vulnerable populations and health systems, noting persistent air pollution from fossil fuels causes about 2.5 million deaths each year.