Cited by 1,603Climate Change and Health ImpactsAir Quality and Health ImpactsClimate Change and Environmental Impact

The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future

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Romanello, Marina, McGushin, Alice, Di Napoli, Claudia, Drummond, Paul, Hughes, Nick, Jamart, Louis, Kennard, Harry, Lampard, Pete +85 more·2021·The Lancet

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0140-6736(21)01787-6

Cites

210 of 210 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Given that the economy functions as a subsystem within the finite biosphere, achieving real sustainable growth under these conditions remains highly improbable, if not impossible.

    “Given that the economy functions as a subsystem within the finite biosphere, achieving real sustainable growth under these conditions remains highly improbable, if not impossible (48).”

    From Bridging Sectors and Disciplines to Gain a Critical Understanding of the Eco-Social Determinants of Health Inequities: The ESDHI-EU Conference (2025) · cites this paper as [48]

    Section 4: economics and finance discusses a low-carbon transition and recommends a green recovery rather than business-as-usual growth. It does not address whether the economy is a subsystem of a finite biosphere or whether sustainable growth is improbable or impossible. Searches for those concepts and for green growth found no passage making the attributed claim; page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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  • Sleep of adequate duration and quality is important for good human physical and mental health.

    “Sleep of adequate duration and quality is important for good human physical and mental health.97–100”

    From The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: facing record-breaking threats from delayed action (2024) · cites this paper as [98]

    The passages on physical and mental health discuss physical activity (Section 1, Indicator 1.1) and urban green space (Section 2, Indicator 2.3), not sleep. Searches for sleep and for sleep duration and quality found no passage in our copy addressing whether adequate sleep supports physical and mental health; page numbers were unavailable. (LLM, conf=0.72)

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Cites

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8 of the 218 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. [8]McCarthy M Christidis N Stott P Kaye N Met Office: a review of the UK’s climate in 2020 2021 Jan 12 accessed April 8, 2021 https://www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-a-review-of-the-uks-climate-in-2020
  2. [23]International Energy Agency Global energy review 2021 Paris International Energy Agency 2021
  3. [36]Colebrook C Gender London Palgrave Macmillan 2003
  4. [119]Pörtner H Roberts D Masson-Delmotte V IPCC Special Report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate Geneva Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2019 10.1007/s13280-019-01313-8 · DOI
  5. [145]Bouchama A Dehbi M Mohamed G Matthies F Shoukri M Menne B Prognostic factors in heat wave related deaths: a meta-analysis Arch Intern Med 2007 167 2170 76 17698676
  6. [177]Vivid Economics Greenness of stimulus index 2021 February accessed April 10, 2021 https://www.vivideconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Greennes-of-Stimulus-Index-5th-Edition-FINAL-VERSION-09.02.21.pdf
  7. [191]International Energy Agency World extended energy balances, 2020 edition Paris International Energy Agency 2021
  8. [248]Hendryx M Zullig KJ Luo J Impacts of coal use on health Annu Rev Public Health 2020 41 397 415 31913772
  9. [268]Newman N Fletcher R Schulz A Andy S Nielsen RK Digital news report 2020 Oxford Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism 2020 9th edn
  10. [307]Yoshida M Arase Y Tsunoda T Yamamoto M Wikipedia page view reflects web search trend. Proceedings of the ACM Web Science Conference Commun ACM 2015 65 1 2

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Authors
Romanello, M., McGushin, A., Di Napoli, C., Drummond, P., Hughes, N., Jamart, L., Kennard, H., Lampard, P., Solano Rodriguez, B., Arnell, N., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Belesova, K., Cai, W., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Capstick, S., Chambers, J., Chu, L., Ciampi, L., Dalin, C., Dasandi, N., Dasgupta, S., Davies, M., Dominguez-Salas, P., Dubrow, R., Ebi, K. L., Eckelman, M., Ekins, P., Escobar, L. E., Georgeson, L., Grace, D., Graham, H., Gunther, S. H., Hartinger, S., He, K., Heaviside, C., Hess, J., Hsu, S.-C., Jankin, S., Jimenez, M. P., Kelman, I., Kiesewetter, G., Kinney, P. L., Kjellstrom, T., Kniveton, D., Lee, J. K. W., Lemke, B., Liu, Y., Liu, Z., Lott, M., Lowe, R., Martinez-Urtaza, J., Maslin, M., McAllister, L., McMichael, C., Mi, Z., Milner, J., Minor, K., Mohajeri, N., Moradi-Lakeh, M., Morrissey, K., Munzert, S., Murray, K. A., Neville, T., Nilsson, M., Obradovich, N., Sewe, M. O., Oreszczyn, T., Otto, M., Owfi, F., Pearman, O., Pencheon, D., Rabbaniha, M., Robinson, E., Rocklöv, J., Salas, R. N., Semenza, J. C., Sherman, J., Shi, L., Springmann, M., Tabatabaei, M., Taylor, J., Trinanes, J., Shumake-Guillemot, J., Vu, B., Wagner, F., Wilkinson, P., Winning, M., Yglesias, M., Zhang, S., Gong, P., Montgomery, H., Costello, A., & Hamilton, I.
Affiliations
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of York (GB)
  • University of Reading (GB)
  • London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
  • Tsinghua University (CN)
  • World Health Organization (CH)
  • Cardiff University (GB)
  • Yale University (US)
  • University of Birmingham (GB)
  • CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (IT)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Northeastern University (US)
  • Virginia Tech (US)
  • International Livestock Research Institute (KE)
  • National University of Singapore (SG)
  • Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (PE)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (AT)
  • Boston University (US)
  • University of Sussex (GB)
  • Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NZ)
  • Emory University (US)
  • Center on Global Energy Policy (US)
  • Technical University of Munich (DE)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
  • Technical University of Denmark (DK)
  • Hertie School (DE)
  • Umeå University (SE)
  • Max Planck Institute for Human Development (DE)
  • Agricultural Research & Education Organization (IR)
  • Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US)
  • University of Exeter (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (MY)
  • Tampere University (FI)
  • Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (ES)
  • World Meteorological Organization (CH)
  • University of Hong Kong (HK)
  • Energy Institute (GB)
Corresponding author
Hamilton, Ian
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-10
Volume
398
Issue
10311
Pages
1619-1662
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
OpenAlex
W3211328827
Cited by
1,603
References
218
Citations by year
2026: 200 · 2025: 251 · 2024: 289 · 2023: 523 · 2022: 318 · 2021: 20 · 2018: 1
FWCI
27.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (2021-12-11)
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Greenwich Academic Literature Archive (University of Greenwich) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science Research Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (acceptedVersion)
  • CentAUR (University of Reading) (submittedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (submittedVersion)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science Theses Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (submittedVersion)
  • Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion)
  • UNU Collections (United Nations University) (submittedVersion)
  • National University of Singapore (submittedVersion)
  • CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion)
  • Hispana (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
  • ARCA (Università Ca' Foscari Venezia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • OPUS 4 (Zuse Institute Berlin) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) (submittedVersion)
  • IIASA PURE (International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis) (submittedVersion)
  • Tampere University Institutional Repository (Tampere University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (209734/Z/17/Z)
  • Northeastern University
  • Royal Society
  • National Research Foundation
  • UK Energy Research Centre
  • International Energy Agency
  • National Research Foundation Singapore
  • National University of Singapore
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC21K0507)
  • Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas (2018\u201301754, 2017\u201301300)
  • Harvard University
  • Natural Environment Research Council (NE/N01524X/1, 205200/Z/16/Z, NE/R01440X/1, 216035/Z/19/Z)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Environmental Impact
Keywords
health and climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, health equity, low-carbon transition, climate change adaptation, global health indicators, sustainable development, just transition
MeSH terms
Forecasting, Health Planning, Humans, Global Health, Climate Change, Renewable Energy

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