Climate and Health Funders Coalition
Climate change is driving an escalating public health crisis which puts at least 3.3 billion people at risk worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
That is why over 35 leading philanthropies are uniting to tackle the climate emergency and its consequences for health - accelerating solutions where it is needed most.
Who is part of the Climate and Health Funders Coalition?
The Coalition brings together institutional and individual funders operating at international, national and regional levels to improve health and save lives. The committed funders currently include: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Gates Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Quadrature Climate Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Philanthropy Asia Alliance (by Temasek Trust), and Wellcome Trust. The Coalition is also proud to partner with the Khemka Foundation, Foundation S and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
What are the Coalition’s priorities?
The immediate focus is to accelerate solutions, innovations, policies and research on:
- Extreme heat
- Air pollution
- Climate sensitive infectious diseases
- Critical climate and health data for decision makers to support resilient health systems that protect people’s lives and livelihoods.
Why has the Coalition decided on these priorities?
The Coalition recognises the need to act with urgency. The past 10 years have been the 10 warmest on record and temperatures are expected to remain at or near record levels in the next five years. Climate and health experts have repeatedly warned that warming of more than 1.5°C risks unleashing more severe climate impacts and extreme weather with major consequences for human health.
Rising temperatures are leading to deadly heatwaves, increased air pollution, worsening nutrition, threats to maternal and newborn health, and changes in how and where the spread of diseases like malaria and dengue are spreading. Extreme weather events are also increasingly disrupting food and water supplies and straining health systems, especially in vulnerable regions. These impacts disproportionately affect the most marginalised, deepening existing health inequities. Without urgent action to reduce greenhouse emissions and strengthen health systems, the climate emergency will continue to escalate health risks and undermine access to care worldwide.
The 2025 Lancet Countdown Report on Health and Climate Change states that:
- The rate of heat-related deaths has surged 23% since the 1990s, to 546,000 a year.
- A record 154,000 deaths were linked to air pollution from wildfire smoke in 2024.
- The global average transmission potential of dengue has risen by up to 49% since the 1950s.
What does the Coalition do?
- Align and expand funding efforts to address the most urgent climate and health challenges, unlocking long-term investment from public, private, and multilateral sources.
- Set shared goals and use robust data and science to design, apply, and scale solutions.
- Shift funding and power to communities most affected by climate change, ensuring solutions are implemented where they are needed most.
How much money is the Coalition committing?
An initial $300 million was committed at COP30 in Brazil in 2025. This initial funding was also timed to support the implementation of the Belém Health Action Plan which promotes climate-resilient health systems and prioritises health equity and justice.
Find out more
The Climate and Health Funders Coalition will develop a website in 2026 and publish more information about elevated solutions and flagship initiatives.
If you are a funder interested in learning more, please email:
Climate and Health Funders Coalition named members
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organisation focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health.
Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion.
For more information, please visit the Bloomberg Philanthropies website.
CIFF is an independent philanthropic organisation, working with a range of partners seeking to transform the lives of children and adolescents. Our programmes are designed to support bold ideas to solve seemingly intractable problems.
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone, especially those with the fewest resources, has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.
Find out more about Gates Foundations' approach to climate resilience.
The IKEA Foundation is an independent philanthropy that fights global warming with and for the many people.
Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF) is an independent charitable foundation established in 2019 by the founders of Quadrature Capital. QCF funds work across climate, poverty, inequality and human security, supporting work that strengthens communities today and enables a greener and fairer tomorrow.
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance.
For more information, sign up to The Rockefeller Foundations' newsletter at and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) is a Temasek Trust initiative dedicated to catalysing collaborative philanthropy in Asia through dynamic multi-sector partnerships. By harnessing collective strengths, PAA multiplies impact, accelerates positive change, and takes urgent action to address the pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. PAA’s flagship programme is the annual Philanthropy Asia Summit.
Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health.
