El impacto de los combustibles fosiles en la salud y la urgencia por una transicion justa

The Global Climate and Health Alliance reports that fossil fuels cause systemic health damage across all life stages, from prenatal development to old age, through every phase of their life cycle (extraction, refining, transport, combustion, and waste). These impacts disproportionately affect marginalized communities in "sacrifice zones." The document highlights that global fossil fuel subsidies reached 7 trillion USD in 2022 and argues that a just transition to clean energy could save over 2 million lives annually and recover 4 trillion USD in public revenue. Key policy recommendations include halting new exploration, applying the "polluter pays" principle, and redirecting subsidies toward public health and renewables.

• Fossil fuel pollution impacts human health across all life stages, from fetal development to old age. Prenatal exposure is linked to premature birth, miscarriage, and congenital anomalies, while children are particularly vulnerable due to their faster respiratory rates and developing organs. In older adults, vulnerability increases due to accumulated exposure and pre-existing chronic diseases.
• Every stage of the fossil fuel life cycle generates specific health risks. Extraction (including fracking and coal mining) releases benzene and heavy metals; refining emits carcinogenic chemicals like toluene; transport and storage risk chemical spills; combustion produces PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides; and post-combustion waste like coal ash continues to expose communities to toxins.
• The health impacts of fossil fuels are systemic and persistent, as pollutants like mercury, lead, and arsenic accumulate in soil, water, and food chains. This results in chronic health issues, such as renal dysfunction and cognitive impairment, that persist long after industrial operations have ceased.
• Health burdens from fossil fuels are distributed unequally, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups, including indigenous peoples and low-income populations. These groups often live in "sacrifice zones" near polluting infrastructure and face systemic barriers to healthcare.
• Global fossil fuel subsidies reached an estimated 7 trillion USD in 2022, according to the IMF. This includes 1.3 trillion USD in explicit subsidies and 5.7 trillion USD in implicit subsidies, the latter representing unaccounted social costs such as air pollution and climate damage.
• The document recommends several public policy actions: halting new fossil fuel exploration to meet the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal, redirecting subsidies toward health and renewables, internalizing health costs via the "polluter pays" principle, and excluding fossil fuel entities from international forums like COPs.
• A rapid and just transition to clean energy could prevent over 2 million premature deaths annually by improving air quality and provide significant economic benefits, including the recovery of over 4 trillion USD in public revenue currently lost to pollution and climate impacts.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (n.d.). El impacto de los combustibles fosiles en la salud y la urgencia por una transicion justa. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-SPANISH_EXE-SUMMARY-2.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. El impacto de los combustibles fosiles en la salud y la urgencia por una transicion justa. n.d. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-SPANISH_EXE-SUMMARY-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=El impacto de los combustibles fosiles en la salud y la urgencia por una transicion justa |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-SPANISH_EXE-SUMMARY-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliancendimpacto, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{El impacto de los combustibles fosiles en la salud y la urgencia por una transicion justa}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-SPANISH_EXE-SUMMARY-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }