In a new climate model published in the journal Nature Communications, the number of deaths linked to climate change could rise to 83 million.
A rise of one degree increases the number of deaths by 5 %.
“By the end of the century, climate change could claim 4.6 million lives each year,” wrote Columbia academic David Bressler.
A rise in temperatures triggers consequences like extreme weather events and excessive heat, including exceptionally high summer temperatures, heavy rain and drought.
The scientists tracked a rise in deaths linked to each additional tonne of emissions and the speed with which the death rate rises in different countries.
According to the research, each additional 4,400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere costs the lives of at least a single person on Earth. The greatest effect from per capita emissions comes from developed countries – the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Germany.
But it was also noteworthy that even now millions are dying from global warming. According to research in Australia and the United States, starting from 2000 about 9 % of deaths were linked to climate change. Deaths from excessive heat were most notable in Europe, deaths from excessive cold in the countries of Africa. Scientists believe that any rise in temperature of two degrees or more on the basis of human factors would be catastrophic.