WHO calls for urgent integration of health into climate negotiations ahead of COP29

Ahead of the 2024 UN climate change conference in Baku (COP29), the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for an end to reliance on fossil fuels and advocating for people-centred adaptation and resilience.

Starting COP29 Special Report on Climate and Health and technical instructions for Healthy Nationally Determined ContributionsWHO urges world leaders at COP29 to abandon hidden approach to addressing climate change and health. It emphasizes the importance of putting health at the center of all climate negotiations, strategies, policies and action plans, in order to save lives and ensure a healthier future for current and future generations.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis, which is why prioritizing health and well-being in climate action is not only a moral and legal imperative, but also a strategic opportunity to unlock transformative health benefits for a fairer and more equal future,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO. “COP29 is a key opportunity for global leaders to integrate health issues into climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. WHO is supporting this work with practical guidance and support to countries.”

A bold health case for climate action

It was developed by WHO in collaboration with more than 100 organizations and 300 experts COP29 Special Report on Climate Change and Health identifies critical policies across three integrated dimensions – people, place and planet. The report outlines key actions aimed at protecting all people, especially the estimated 3.6 billion people who live in the areas most vulnerable to climate change.

The report highlights the importance of governance that integrates health into climate policymaking – and climate into health policymaking – as critical to progress. The main recommendations of the report include:

• make human health and well-being the primary measure of climate success to catalyze progress and ensure people-centred adaptation and resilience;

• end subsidies and dependence on fossil fuels by aligning economic and financial systems to protect human health and the environment, investing in clean, sustainable alternatives that reduce pollution-related diseases and reduce carbon emissions;

• mobilize funding for climate-health initiatives, particularly to strengthen vulnerable health systems and support the health workforce, by creating resilient climate-resilient health systems to protect health and save lives;

• invest in proven solutions; just 5 interventions – from heat and health warning systems, to clean household energy, to efficient fossil fuel pricing – would save almost 2 million lives a year and deliver $4 in benefits for every dollar invested;

• build greater focus on the role of cities in health outcomes, through more sustainable urban design, clean energy, resilient housing and improved sanitation; and

• increase the protection and restoration of nature and biodiversity, recognizing the synergistic health benefits of clean air, water and food security.

“Health is the lived experience of climate change,” said dr. Maria Neira, Director of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “By prioritizing health in every aspect of climate action, we can unlock significant benefits for public health, climate resilience, security and economic stability. Health is the argument we need to catalyze immediate and comprehensive action at this critical time.”

Increased WHO action on health and climate

Climate NDCs or Nationally Determined Contributions are national plans and commitments made by countries under the Paris Agreement. Although health is identified as a priority in 91% of NDCs, few specify specific actions to harness the health benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation or to protect health from climate-related risks.