Cradle to Grave: The Health Toll of Fossil Fuels and the Imperative for a Just Transition

Global fossil CO₂ emissions hit a record high in 2024, rising yet again despite urgent warnings. While most debates focus narrowly on emissions, Cradle to Grave shines a light on the hidden health toll of fossil fuels, tracing the toxins released at every stage of production and the lifelong impacts on human bodies and communities.

This flagship report takes a novel approach: it maps the entire fossil fuel lifecycle, examines effects across every stage of human life and every system of the body, and pairs global scientific evidence with case studies and personal testimonies to show how fossil fuels deepen inequity. Peer-reviewed by 15 experts across medicine, public health, toxicology, law, and climate policy, it provides the clearest picture yet of why fossil fuels are not just an environmental threat, but a public health emergency.

The report investigates

• What pollutants are produced at each stage of fossil fuel extraction, refining, transport, combustion, and waste?
• When and how is the human body most vulnerable to these exposures?
• How do risks compound across a lifetime—and which communities face the greatest burden?