Prof. Kristie Ebi

University of Washington, United States

Keynote Speech: Risks of and Responses to Climate Change: What's Next?

Biography:

Professor, Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington, United States

Kristie L. Ebi, Ph.D., MPH is a professor in the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington, USA. She has been conducting research and practice on the health risks of climate variability and change for 25 years, including estimating current and future health risks of climate change; designing adaptation policies and measures to reduce risks in multi-stressor environments; and estimating the health co-benefits of mitigation policies. She has been an author on multiple national and international climate change assessments, including the fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment and the IPCC 6th Assessment Report.

Abstract:

Climate change is causing injuries, illnesses, and deaths worldwide, with increases in global temperature projected to further increase morbidity and mortality from most climate-sensitive health outcomes if actions are not taken to rapidly increase adaptation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The magnitude and pattern of future risks will depend not just on climate change but also on development choices. Adaptation can reduce the current and projected burdens of climate-sensitive health outcomes over the short term in many countries, but the extent to which it could do so past mid-century will depend on emission and development pathways. Under high emission scenarios, climate change will be rapid and extensive, leading to fundamental shifts in the burden of climate-sensitive health outcomes that will be challenging for many countries to manage. Unmanaged disease burdens could erode gains made in public health, economic development, and living standards worldwide. Sustainable development pathways could delay but not eliminate associated health burdens.

Abstract

Prof. Kristie Ebi

Climate change is causing injuries, illnesses, and deaths worldwide, with increases in global temperature projected to further increase morbidity and mortality from most climate-sensitive health outcomes if actions are not taken to rapidly increase adaptation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The magnitude and pattern of future risks will depend not just on climate change but also on development choices. Adaptation can reduce the current and projected burdens of climate-sensitive health outcomes over the short term in many countries, but the extent to which it could do so past mid-century will depend on emission and development pathways. Under high emission scenarios, climate change will be rapid and extensive, leading to fundamental shifts in the burden of climate-sensitive health outcomes that will be challenging for many countries to manage. Unmanaged disease burdens could erode gains made in public health, economic development, and living standards worldwide. Sustainable development pathways could delay but not eliminate associated health burdens.