Call for emergency action to limit global temperature increases, restore biodiversity, and protect health

Competing interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: FG serves on the executive committee for the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change and is a Trustee of the Eden Project. Ahead of these pivotal meetings, we—the editors of health journals worldwide—call for urgent action to keep average global temperature increases below 1.5°C, halt the destruction of nature, and protect health. Health is already being harmed by global temperature increases and the destruction of the natural world, a state of affairs health professionals have been bringing attention to for decades [1]. Higher temperatures have brought increased dehydration and renal function loss, dermatological malignancies, tropical infections, adverse mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, allergies, and cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality [5,6].