The 2022 report of theMJA–LancetCountdown on health and climate change: Australia unprepared and paying the price

Abstract

Summary The MJA–Lancet Countdown on health and climate change in Australia was established in 2017 and produced its first national assessment in 2018 and annual updates in 2019, 2020 and 2021. It examines five broad domains: climate change impacts, exposures and vulnerability; adaptation, planning and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co‐benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. In this, the fifth year of the MJA–Lancet Countdown, we track progress on an extensive suite of indicators across these five domains, accessing and presenting the latest data and further refining and developing our analyses. Within just two years, Australia has experienced two unprecedented national catastrophes — the 2019–2020 summer heatwaves and bushfires and the 2021–2022 torrential rains and flooding. Such events are costing lives and displacing tens of thousands of people. Further, our analysis shows that there are clear signs that Australia’s health emergency management capacity substantially decreased in 2021. We find some signs of progress with respect to health and climate change. The states continue to lead the way in health and climate change adaptation planning, with the Victorian plan being published in early 2022. At the national level, we note progress in health and climate change research funding by the National Health and Medical Research Council. We now also see an acceleration in the uptake of electric vehicles and continued uptake of and employment in renewable energy. However, we also find Australia’s transition to renewables and zero carbon remains unacceptably slow, and the Australian Government’s continuing failure to produce a national climate change and health adaptation plan places the health and lives of Australians at unnecessary risk today, which does not bode well for the future.

Australia's political engagement on health and climate change: the MJA–Lancet Countdown indicator and implications for the future

“…During 2021 there was some improvement from the previous year, with increased engagement across all parliaments 8 . Unfortunately, this engagement remained superficial, with very few making climate change and health a primary focus of bills or inquiries.…”

Planetary health: a new standard for medical education

“…Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution constitute the triple planetary health crisis that is having profound impacts on human health and wellbeing 5‐7 . Adverse health impacts escalate with every increment of global heating 5,6 .…”

“…Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution constitute the triple planetary health crisis that is having profound impacts on human health and wellbeing 5‐7 . Adverse health impacts escalate with every increment of global heating 5,6 . The 2023 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change declared “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all” 6 .…”

“…Climate change threatens to displace entire communities 5 . For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori peoples whose holistic conceptualisation of health is rooted in connection to Country, geographic dislocation and the loss of culturally significant sites have profound implications 12,13 .…”

The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Australia a world leader in neglecting its responsibilities

“…For each of the past five years (2018 to 2022), the collaboration has presented its findings in the Medical Journal of Australia , in unison with the publication of the global Lancet Countdown report. In recognition of Australia's geographic position and the importance of regional relationships, the MJA – Lancet Countdown is actively broadening its scope to Oceania, with, for example, the inclusion of a concise assessment of health and climate change in New Zealand in its 2022 report 5 …”