A new study led by Prof. Maya Negev from the The Health and Climate Resilience Lab at University of Haifa, in collaboration with Dr. Matan Elisha Singer, Bar-Ilan University, reveals a profound global imbalance between responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and the health impacts of climate change. By examining emissions patterns alongside climate-related health outcomes, the research shows that countries in the Global North are responsible for most carbon emissions, while the most severe health consequences—such as mortality from extreme heat and climate-sensitive diseases—are concentrated in the Global South, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and India.
The findings frame climate change as a critical public health and equity challenge, highlighting how preparedness, infrastructure and healthcare capacity determine who is most affected. The study also demonstrates that economic growth and emissions reduction are not mutually exclusive, pointing to evidence from Europe where emissions have declined without compromising quality of life. Together, the results underscore the need for climate policies that integrate health, responsibility and adaptation, and that prioritize protection for the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The study’s findings, were published on the Ynet news website.