COP26 Health Programme
C. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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Credits
Supported by the UK government as the Presidency of COP26, the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and the UNFCCC Climate Champions, the COP26 Health Programme enables transformational change to protect the health of people
and the planet.
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.
COP26 Health Initiatives on Climate Resilient and Low Carbon, Sustainable Health Systems
Two of the Programme’s key initiatives support countries in developing Climate Resilient and Low Carbon Sustainable Health Systems, with countries expected to announce their commitments to these initiatives by COP26 in November 2021. Commitments are anticipated to be implemented in the coming years and will allow countries to develop a roadmap for future investments in climate resilient and low carbon sustainable health systems and facilities.
Commitment 1: Climate resilient health systems
- Commit to conduct climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments (V&As) at population level and/or health care facility level by a stated target date;
- Commit to develop a health National Adaptation Plan informed by the health V&A, which forms part of the National Adaptation Plan to be published by a stated target date;
- Commit to use the V&A and HNAP to facilitate access to climate change funding for health (e.g. project proposals submitted to the Global Environmental Facility, Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, or GCF Readiness programme).
Commitment 2: Sustainable low carbon health systems
- High ambition/high emitters: Commit to set a target date by which to achieve health system net zero emissions (ideally by 2050).
- All countries: Commitment to deliver a baseline assessment of greenhouse gas emissions of the health system (including supply chains)
- All countries: Commit to develop an action plan or roadmap by a set date to develop a sustainable low carbon health system (including supply chains) which also considers human exposure to air pollution and the role the health sector can play in reducing exposure to air pollution through its activities and its actions.
For more information on the Climate Resilient Health Systems Initiative, please contact the WHO climate change team at [email protected]. For more information on the Low Carbon Sustainable Health Systems Initiative, please contact the COP26 Health Team at [email protected].
Other COP26 Health Initiatives
Raising the voice of health professionals as advocates for climate action.
The Healthy Climate Prescription, a letter from the health community worldwide to COP26 national climate negotiators, calls for effective action to limit warming to 1.5C, increased financing from high-income countries to support low-income countries’ transitions, and for strengthened investment in adaptation and resilience. Learn more.
A joint editorial in over 200 health journals has called on governments to take emergency action to tackle the “catastrophic harm to health” from climate change. Learn more.
Adaptation Research for Health.
The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) is a global, collaborative effort to increase investment and opportunities for action research to develop/inform effective adaptation solutions. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is working with partners to co-develop the ARA for launch at COP26. Learn more.
The Climate and Health Research GAP Report: Global research on climate change and health: trends, gaps and future opportunities. Developed by the Research Subcommittee of the WHO-Civil Society Working Group to Advance Action on Climate and Health, this report provides a global review of research to date on climate and health. Coming soon.The inclusion of health priorities in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The WHO Initiative on Assessing Health Co-benefits of NDCs supports countries to strengthen the inclusion of health in their NDCs by quantifying the potential health co-benefits of national climate mitigation commitments. Learn more.
Sustainable low carbon health systems as part of NDCs: WHO, HCWH and other partners support countries to include health system and facilities emission reduction measures in their NDCs and Long-term Low Emissions and Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), including by providing support on conducting baseline assessments, promoting partnerships and the development of an action plan or roadmap for developing a sustainable low carbon health system. Learn more.