A group of 50 countries have committed to develop climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), in response to growing evidence of the impact of climate change on people’s health.

The governments of these 50 countries, which include some of those most vulnerable to the health harms caused by climate change as well as some of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, have committed to take concrete steps towards creating climate-resilient health systems. 

Forty-five of these countries have also committed to transform their health systems to be more sustainable and low-carbon. Fourteen have set a target date to reach net zero carbon emissions on or before 2050. 

Dr. Maria Neira Director, Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health Department (PHE) World Health Organisation

The country commitments come off the back of a WHO survey, launched this week, which shows that the majority of countries now include health in their national climate plans to the Paris Agreement, but that plans often still lack detailed health actions or support mechanisms.

In addition to the national commitments, 54 institutions from 21 countries representing more than 14 000 hospitals and health centres have joined the UNFCCC Race to Zero and committed to achieving net zero emissions. 

The commitments were made as part of the COP26 Health Programme, a partnership between the UK government, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Climate Champions and health groups, such as Health Care Without Harm. 

The COP26 Health Programme has been established to bring stronger health focus and ambition to COP26. Initiatives under the COP26 Health Programme include: 

• Building climate resilient health systems

• Developing low carbon sustainable health systems

• Adaptation Research for Health

• The inclusion of health priorities in Nationally Determined Contributions

• Raising the voice of health professionals as advocates for stronger ambition on climate change

A record number of health leaders are participating at the COP26 UN climate conference, and more than 45 million health professionals, representing two thirds of the world’s health workforce, have signed a letter urging governments to take stronger action, noting that “hospitals, clinics and communities around the world have already been responding to the health harms caused by climate change”.

Text sources: who.int