Overview
- The Lancet Countdown Europe report, published Wednesday, estimates about 62,000 people died from heat in 2024, with infants, older adults, people with chronic illness and outdoor workers most at risk.
- It finds heat-attributable deaths rose in 820 of 823 regions since 2015 compared with 1991–2000, and daily extreme heat warnings increased 318% versus the 1990s.
- Warmer conditions have nearly quadrupled dengue outbreak risk since the 1980–2010 baseline and expanded coastal suitability for Vibrio infections, with pollen seasons now one to two weeks longer.
- Rising temperatures and drought pushed more than 1 million additional Europeans into moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023 compared with the 1981–2010 average.
- Despite cleaner power trends, governments spent €444 billion on fossil-fuel subsidies in 2023, which researchers say heightens Europe’s health risks and financial vulnerability.