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Climate change was responsible for 1,700 heat-related deaths in the Swiss canton of Zurich between 1969 and 2018, according to new research from the University of Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. These deaths represent nearly one-third of all heat-related mortality in the region during that period.

The published in Climatic Change, titled "Refining methods for attributing health impacts to climate change: a heat-mortality case study in Zürich," shows that climate change is not only increasing deaths during extreme heat waves, but also on milder days when temperatures exceed local thresholds for human health.

While improved resilience measures such as access to cooling, health care, and public awareness have prevented an estimated 700 deaths since 2004, the number of heat-related deaths continues to rise as global temperatures increase.

Lead author Dr. Rupert Stuart-Smith, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Science and the Law at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and Deputy Director of the Oxford Sustainable Law Program, said, "We find that heat-related deaths were already occurring as a result of climate change as early as 1969, but that the numbers of heat-related deaths have increased substantially over time, and despite improvements in our resilience to heat.

"Our results point to the potential effectiveness of climate adaptation measures. However, more people are dying than ever before because of climate change which is pushing temperatures ever higher. The best way to avoid these deaths in future remains rapid and sustained emission reductions, delivered by quickly moving away from fossil fuels and animal agriculture."

The study also concludes that, while climate change–related deaths peak during heat waves, many occur outside of them, because climate change is raising temperatures above the "mortality threshold" even on comparatively cooler days.

"Analyses that focus on heat waves alone do not capture the full effect of human-induced climate change on heat-related deaths," adds Dr. Stuart-Smith.

The authors also found that the emissions of the six highest-emitting investor and state-owned companies globally caused, on average, at least one additional death per summer in Zürich since 2004, and that similar findings would be expected for many other locations worldwide.

A preprint of this study was cited by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in its landmark decision in the case of . It was referenced in support of the ECtHR's finding that the implementation of adaptation measures is insufficient to offset the increased number of heat-related deaths driven by rising temperatures and emission reductions are therefore required for Switzerland to meet its legal obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.