The human cost of climate change; Health is needed for accelerated and equitable climate action

The climate crisis is an urgent health crisis that must be acted upon. Realising the ambition of the Paris Agreement and safeguarding human health in climate policies will drive healthy climate action and improve global public health. This requires policymakers, health professionals, civil society, and private and financial institutions to work together to ensure health is at the heart of climate action.  

To deliver ambitious and decisive action, we call on relevant stakeholders to:  

1. Mainstream health assessments in all decision making on climate change, to ensure all climate policies across mitigation and adaptation are evaluated in terms of risks and benefits to human health.
2. Commit to an equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, and promote action to reduce carbon emissions, and that of short-lived climate pollutants.
3. Prioritise, fund and support targeted transdisciplinary research on climate and health to unlock adequate finance for solutions in climate action, public health and sustainable development.
4. Advocate for the inclusion of health targets and metrics within UNFCCC formal processes, including in the Global Goal on Adaptation (GAA) and Global Stocktake (GST).
5. Building on the commitments made at COP28, commit to taking this agenda forward at the 77th World Health Assembly, and harness opportunities at COP16, COP29 and throughout the rest of 2020s.

For more information, contact Arthy Hartwell, Policy Lead, at a.hartwell@wellcome.org.