WHO (World Health Organization), is calling for an end to reliance on fossil fuels and advocating for people-centred adaptation and resilience ahead of the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference.
COP29 opens next week, November 11, in Baku, Azerbaijan, and runs until November 22. WHO has launched its special report on climate and health and a technical guidance on Healthy Nationally Determined Contributions, and is urging world leaders to abandon the siloed approach to addressing climate change and health. It stresses the importance of positioning health at the core of all climate negotiations, strategies, policies and action plans, to save lives and secure healthier futures for present and future generations.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis, which makes prioritising health and wellbeing in climate action not only a moral and legal imperative, but a strategic opportunity to unlock transformative health benefits for a more just and equitable future,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “COP29 is a crucial opportunity for global leaders to integrate health considerations into strategies for adapting to and mitigating climate change. WHO is supporting this work with practical guidelines and support for countries.”
Bold health argument for climate action
Developed by WHO in collaboration with over 100 organisations and 300 experts, the COP29 special report on climate change and health identifies critical policies across three integrated dimensions – people, place and planet. The report outlines key actions aiming to protect all people, particularly the estimated 3.6 billion people who live in areas which are most susceptible to climate change.
The report underlines the importance of the governance that integrates health in climate policy-making – and climate in health policy-making – being essential for progress.
“Health is the lived experience of climate change,” says Dr Maria Neira, Director, Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “By prioritising 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 catalyse urgent and large-scale action in this critical moment.”
