Report titled ‘Cradle to Grave: The Health Toll of Fossil Fuels and the Imperative for a Just Transition’ highlights that fossil fuels are not just an environmental threat but a public health emergency.
Health Impacts of Fossil Fuels
- Fossil fuel pollution affects all life stages, from foetal development to old age, causing asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
- Every stage of fossil fuel use - extraction, refining, transport, combustion, and disposal-releases persistent toxic pollutants, damaging ecosystems and human health.
- Extraction releases benzene, heavy metals, radioactive materials while refining and processing releases toluene, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) etc.
- Legacy pollution from abandoned sites leads to long-term health risks as chemicals like lead, mercury, and PFAS (forever chemicals) persist in soil, water, and the food chain, intensifying with each exposure (biomagnification)
- Marginalized groups including indigenous peoples, racial minorities bear disproportionate burdens living near mines, refineries and facing systemic barriers to healthcare.
Policy Recommendations for Just Transition
- Ending new fossil fuel exploration and development, phasing out subsidies and redirect savings toward health and clean energy.
- Enforcing strict regulations, real-time monitoring, and remediation of legacy pollution.
- Internalizing health costs through the "Polluter Pays" principle.
- Aligning global financial institutions and the health sector with climate and public health goals.