World leaders have adopted a "Pact for the Future" with wide-ranging commitments, including the transition away from fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050. They made the agreement at the Summit of the Future in New York as part of the UN General Assembly. 

Commenting on the pact, Professor Rosie Green, who is attending the summit and events at New York Climate Week, urges governments to step up action to deliver on these commitments, highlighting evidence on both the health harms of climate change driven by fossil fuel-intensive systems and practices, and the near-term health benefits of solutions to tackle the crisis. 

Drawing on findings from the Lancet Pathfinder Commission report, led by researchers at LSHTM in collaboration with global partners and with oversight of an international group of experts, Professor Green emphasises the opportunity that moving towards a net-zero, fossil free economy provides for health and sustainable development. 

Professor Green said: “This summit and the Pact for the Future are a step forward in global commitment to address the climate crisis and transform our systems away from an unsustainable status quo. Governments in collaboration with funders, the research community and civil society, must now implement ambitious, evidence-based actions that deliver a healthier, more sustainable future for all.”

Read the full comment on the Pathfinder Initiative website.