More than 200 doctors and health professionals are urgently warning about the severe health consequences of fossil fuels, urging immediate action ahead of the COP30 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, scheduled for November 10-21, 2025. A recent report highlights the detrimental impacts of coal, oil, and gas on human health, starting from prenatal development and extending throughout the entire lifespan.

The report, titled 'Cradle to Grave: The Health Toll of Fossil Fuels and the Imperative for a Just Transition,' emphasizes that the health impacts of fossil fuels often disproportionately affect disadvantaged and marginalized communities in poorer nations. For instance, communities near coal mines in India face numerous health issues like asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, birth defects, and skin infections from contaminated water.

Health Impacts Across the Lifespan

The use of fossil fuels has far-reaching health implications, commencing in utero. Living near coal mines or fracking sites is associated with higher rates of premature births and miscarriages. Children exposed to air pollution from fossil fuels face increased risks of asthma and cancers like leukemia. These impairments can be permanent due to children's faster breathing rates, developing organs, and narrower airways. In adulthood, exposure to air pollution elevates the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain forms of dementia. Exposure to extreme weather events, displacement, famine and anxiety associated with climate change can also contribute to mental health issues.

The Scope of the Problem

The extraction, transportation, and burning of fossil fuels release pollutants linked to a vast array of health problems. These include respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Fine particulate matter from burning fossil fuels is among the most toxic types of air pollution, leading to asthma, cancer, heart disease, and premature death. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that "the burning of fossil fuels is killing us". Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion is responsible for millions of premature deaths worldwide and hundreds of thousands in the United States every year.

Policy Recommendations and the Role of COP30

The report calls for treating the fossil fuel sector like the tobacco sector, advocating for banning fossil fuel advertisements and barring industry representatives from climate negotiations like COP30. It also urges an immediate end to global fossil fuel subsidies, which reached an estimated $7 trillion in 2022. Instead, these funds should be redirected to public health systems, clean energy, and justice for communities bearing the heaviest burdens.

COP30, the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, presents a crucial opportunity to drive meaningful climate action on a global scale. Delegates from over 190 countries will gather to advance efforts on climate finance, emissions reduction, and adaptation. Brazil intends to launch the Tropical Forest Forever Facility as a signature achievement in Belem.

Priorities for the conference include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, securing climate finance for developing countries, promoting renewable energy technologies, preserving forests and biodiversity, and addressing climate justice and the social impacts of climate change. Updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as set out in the Paris Agreement, were to be published by every country by February 2025.

The Need for a Just Transition

The transition away from fossil fuels requires careful management to avoid unintended consequences, including managing the decline of industries and creating new opportunities. A just transition involves phasing out fossil fuels while investing in sustainable transport, food, and energy solutions to improve health outcomes. This includes prioritizing clean energy investments and removing dirty fossil fuel infrastructure, especially in the most polluted communities.