le fardeau sanitaire des combustibles fossiles et l’impératif d’une transition juste

This executive summary from the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) details the comprehensive health and social burdens associated with the entire lifecycle of fossil fuels—from extraction to disposal. It argues that the health impacts are systemic, persistent, and disproportionately affect marginalized communities, necessitating a rapid and just transition to clean, renewable energy to prevent millions of premature deaths and mitigate the climate crisis.

• Fossil fuel pollution impacts human health across every stage of life, from fetal development to old age. Prenatal exposure is linked to premature births, miscarriages, low birth weight, and congenital malformations, many of which are irreversible. Children are especially vulnerable due to faster breathing rates and developing organs, while elderly populations face risks from cumulative exposure and pre-existing chronic illnesses.
• Every phase of the fossil fuel lifecycle introduces harmful, persistent, and bioaccumulative pollutants into the environment. Extraction releases benzene, heavy metals, and radioactive materials; refining emits carcinogenic chemicals like toluene and volatile organic compounds (VOCs); transport and storage risk chemical spills; combustion produces fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides; and post-combustion waste, such as coal ash, continues to expose communities to toxins for decades.
• The health burdens of fossil fuels are distributed unequally, with marginalized groups—including Indigenous peoples, racial minorities, low-income populations, and migrant workers—disproportionately living near polluting infrastructure in 'sacrifice zones.' These communities face systemic barriers to healthcare and housing, resulting in higher rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory illnesses.
• Beyond direct physical health, fossil fuel operations cause broad societal damage, including the displacement of Indigenous communities, disruption of traditional livelihoods, and increased rates of substance abuse, violence, human trafficking, and mental health crises in extraction areas.
• Global fossil fuel subsidies reached approximately 7 trillion USD in 2022, consisting of 1.3 trillion USD in explicit subsidies (tax breaks, price caps) and 5.7 trillion USD in implicit subsidies representing unaccounted societal costs like air pollution and climate change. Eliminating these subsidies could recover over 4 trillion USD in public revenue and prevent millions of premature deaths.
• The document recommends several policy actions: ending all new fossil fuel exploration to meet the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal; internalizing health costs via the 'polluter-pays' principle; banning fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship; and redirecting financial investments toward renewables, with the IEA calling for renewable investments to triple to 4.5 trillion USD per year by 2030.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (n.d.). le fardeau sanitaire des combustibles fossiles et l’impératif d’une transition juste. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-FR_EXE-SUMMARY.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. le fardeau sanitaire des combustibles fossiles et l’impératif d’une transition juste. n.d. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-FR_EXE-SUMMARY.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=le fardeau sanitaire des combustibles fossiles et l’impératif d’une transition juste |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-FR_EXE-SUMMARY.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliancendfardeau, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{le fardeau sanitaire des combustibles fossiles et l’impératif d’une transition juste}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-FR_EXE-SUMMARY.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }