Not so simple as it seems: tackling climate change and implementing the sustainable development goals in the Americas

Abstract

Human activities are causing unprecedented changes in the climate, and threatening environmental processes. This may seem a simple statement, but in order to make it, a great amount of scientific information was necessary. There is overwhelming evidence of the burden of disease from environmental risks (1). This burden is expected to increase with the changing climate. Anthropogenic drivers have been detected throughout the climate system and are extremely likely to be the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century (2). This rapid changing climate poses direct human health challenges, and also indirect health effects due to disruptions and shifts in the services provided by the ecosystems (3). The “business-as-usual” approach has proven to fail to tackle those complex problems; thus, a new systemic approach is necessary, one that deals not only with those issues, but that is inclusive, universal, and that promotes health equity...