-China leads urban health and climate solutions in the face of unprecedented risks and offers new avenues for the Global South
New Lancet Countdown China report reveals that 8 of 13 climate health risk indicators are at all-time highs; presentation in Beijing showcases scalable approaches for low-carbon, resilient urban development.
, /PRNewswire/ — With 8 of 13 critical climate health risk indicators reaching all-time highs in China, the Report Lancet Countdown China 2025, presented today at the University of Tsinghuaoffers valuable lessons for resilience urban and low carbon development.
In the framework of World Cities Day, under the theme ‘Empowering cities for synergistic action’, the report presents an unprecedented analysis at the city level, revealing a critical gap between national and provincial assessments and the specific risks faced by each city. “While red climate alerts are repeated everywhere, we must combat public desensitization and provide cities with targeted solutions,” said Professor Cai Wenjia, director of the Lancet Countdown Asia Center at Tsinghua University. “Our analysis shows that health-focused climate action is not an economic brake, but a growth accelerator.”
Key findings with regional implications include:
- Asian countries currently experience an average of 20 heat wave days per year (2022-2024), with climate change responsible for 16 of these days.
- Public risk fatigue is emerging as climate alerts become constant, threatening the effectiveness of responses.
- Each city faces its own particular climate and health crisis; National averages hide critical local vulnerabilities.
- Scientific research is not meeting cities’ most urgent needs, and cost-effective solutions remain scarce.
- Health-focused climate action accelerates economic growth rather than hindering it.
The report identifies cities as the epicenter of climate health risks and as the driver of solutions, and proposes five priority actions, from the development of people-centered early warning systems to the integration of health into smart city planning.
Experts from Singapore, India, Australia and China participated in the presentation, discussing practical urban solutions. The event also highlighted new avenues for financing. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank showcased its focus on infrastructure that promotes health and nature, while the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network launched its Climate x Health Lighthouse Fund, Asia’s first philanthropic fund driving innovation in adaptation.
“The city-level evidence presented in this report is precisely what local governments need to move from planning to action,” said Dr Sandro Demaio, director of the WHO Asia-Pacific Center for Environment and Health.
The full report is available at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(25)00230-0/fulltext