Discussions around climate change often seem to revolve around the geographic elements of the issue. Research from Cambridge Judge Business School reminds us that climate change will also have a big impact on our healthcare systems.

“An increase in temperature is not only the displacement of tens and hundreds of thousands of people to new countries,” the authors explain. “The result of this will be an increase in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, the spread of diseases atypical for (certain) places, and psychological problems. This is a very long-term trend with hard-to-predict consequences.”

Climate impact

The study explains that currently, around 1% of the global population are climate migrants, and this number is predicted to increase to 19% by 2070. The research also highlights that individuals with limited mobility, and chronic respiratory or cardiovascular issues are among those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The researchers believe that the impact will be split between climate-related migration and low-carbon healthcare.  An expert interviewed for the study stated that sustainable healthcare practices and their alignment with global climate goals pose a challenge, but also present an opportunity for innovative design and operations.

They noted that actions such as vegetarianism and joint consumption can help reduce society’s consumption and subsequent emissions, impacting healthcare investments.

However, the expert also highlighted the importance of innovation and business in addressing these challenges, citing advancements such as faster time to market for new products, online product testing, self-diagnosis, and AI-assisted disease prediction as game-changers that will transform our daily lives, habits, and emissions footprint.