UN Climate Change News, 5 March 2018 – Meeting the objectives of the Paris Climate Change Agreement by investing in low emissions technology would save governments around USD 54 trillion in health care costs by mid-century, leading medical experts say in a new report.

Investing in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would be far cheaper than paying the health costs associated with polluted air, and would also result in millions fewer premature deaths, write the authors ofa study published in the Lancet Planetary Health.

According to the World Health Organization, 92% of people who live in cities do not breathe safe air, and 6.5 million people die each year due to poor ambient air quality.

The report also outlines basic climate policy options which would have an immediate and positive impact both on the health and economies of the world’s societies.

“Removing fossil fuel subsidies and implementing…