Linking Climate to Health Doubles Public Support, Says Report

Country-level data reveals varying climate-health priorities: 82% in Brazil want urgent action, citing mental health and food insecurity; 74% in India demand action on air pollution and healthcare gaps, with experts warning of respiratory and heart risks; in Japan, concerns centre on extreme heat and ageing populations, with 58% supporting urgent measures; and in South Africa, 82% call for targeted action on children’s health and water shortages, as floods increase risks of diseases like cholera.

Increased awareness of these health impacts also correlates with higher support for specific policies, including investment in renewable energy and the promotion of electric vehicles. Dustin Gilbreath, lead researcher at CORE, stated that when the public understands how the climate harms health, they demand more government intervention. Neha Dewan of the Wellcome Trust added that because the climate crisis is a health crisis, using health-framed messages is a vital tool for shifting public attitudes and saving lives.

Health Angle Builds Support

According to global research, including studies by the World Health Organization and The Lancet Countdown, linking climate change to health risks such as heat stress, respiratory illness and food insecurity makes the issue more immediate and relatable, significantly increasing public concern and support for stronger climate policies worldwide.

Wellcome Trust, a UK-based biomedical research foundation, in its December 2023 research stated that framing climate change as a public health issue can be an effective way to enhance public engagement with the issue and generate support for pro-climate policies and action.

It added that health-framed messaging can be particularly valuable as it increases support for climate action among people across the political spectrum, including among those who tend to be less concerned about climate change.Health-framed messages are twice as effective at shifting public attitudes and policy support on climate change than non-health messages, according to a study conducted across Brazil, India, Japan and South Africa.

The research, conducted for Wellcome by the Climate Opinion Research Exchange (CORE), indicates that providing evidence of climate risks to health increases public support for government action twice as often as other climate-related information.

The study was based on a randomised control trial of over 30,000 respondents between September and October 2025. Across the four countries, over 80% of the public reported concern about climate change and at least three-quarters are aware that it is currently harming human health. The most significant drivers of public concern include the impacts of climate change on extreme heat, food and water security and children’s health.