Overall outcome of the conference
The climate conference reached an agreement that mainly serves the purpose of keeping options open for a global agreement at the next UNFCCC COP, in Paris in December 2015, rather than taking clear decisions in itself. The agreement for the first time invitees all countries (not just the developed countries) to make commitments on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions”; calls for ““clarity, transparency and understanding” of countries in reporting GHG emissions reductions pledges, makes reference to “loss and damage” in relation to the impacts that are expected to be surfed by the most vulnerable countries in the absence of effective mitigation and adaptation, and calls for joint efforts in increasing climate finance to US$100 billion per year.
However, the agreement also makes reference to “Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances.”, blurring the definition of what should be expected particularly from the rapidly emerging economies.
The agreement also allows countries flexibility in choosing the baseline year and yearly targets for their reduction pledges, and does not stipulate responsibility for increasing the financial support mechanism, or how much should come from private as opposed to public finance. In addition to the decision document agreed in Lima, the conference also made progress on discussing the elements that will go into the draft of the text to be negotiated in Paris. Again, the discussions mainly kept a variety of options on the table, rather than making decisions on them at this stage. This puts a heavy weight on the negotiation process before and during the Paris meeting.
Health within the Lima climate agreement
Based on proposals by WHO and the International Federation of Medical Students Associations, several countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland; and Peru by communication of their health Minister to the environment
Minister) proposed the inclusion of “health” within the decision text. Critically, this was retained in the final version agreed at the conference.
The overall agreement is only four pages long, much of which is taken up by recital of previous agreements and definition of the process for negotiation of the Paris agreement. Health is mentioned in one of the few technically substantive articles of the agreement, which “Decides to continue the technical examination of opportunities with high mitigation potential, including those with adaptation, health and sustainable development co-benefits, in the period 2015–2020 “, and specifies a series of actions to be undertaken by the UNFCCC Secretariat in support of this goal.
This presents an important opportunity for the health community to (i) ensure that health is also identified as a priority within the “elements” text, the first negotiation meeting of which will take place in Geneva in February 2015, and (ii) scale up work demonstrating the health benefits of well-planned mitigation actions, including through reducing air pollution.
Health side events at the Lima Climate conference
The 3rd Climate and Health Summit (6 December 2014, Swissotel, Lima), was co-hosted by the Global Climate and Health Alliance and the School of Public Health at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; and in partnership with the Pan-American Health Organization, World Health Organization, and the German Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany. The Summit convened many of the major health organizations leading action on climate change. It explored the health impacts of our changing weather and rising seas, and how governments can simultaneously cut emissions and enable healthier lives for their citizens. Over 300 participants attended, and keynote speeches were given by Peru’s Minister of Health, Aníbal Velasquez Valdivia, the Vice President of the World Bank, Rachel Kyte and Chief of Staff for the UNFCCC, Daniele Violetti.
More information can be found here.
The official WHO/IMF COP 20 side event on “Protecting Health, Fighting Climate Change”, held in the main COP venue on the 8th of December, was also well attended, with strong support from all panellists for including health as a priority in political and financial support mechanisms, and positive feedback from the audience.
The event focussed on the new strategic direction and programmatic initiatives on health resilience to climate; estimates of how much carbon pricing is in countries’ own interests due to local health benefits; and other opportunities for maximizing health benefits of a low-carbon future. Moderated by Maria Neira, Director, PHE, WHO. Panelists: Aníbal Velásquez Valdivia, Minister of Health, Peru; Marie-Hélène Aubert, Conseillère climat du Président de la République de France ; Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum , Team Leader, Climate Change and Health, WHO; Mr. Ian Parry, International Monetary Fund ; Mr. Ousseynou Nakoulima, Green Climate Fund; Thomas Kerr, Principal Climate Policy Officer, World Bank. Invited commentaries from the OECD Climate Change Group, and the International Federation of Medical Students Associations.
Health input into other events at the Lima COP
WHO also represented the health dimensions of climate change in the following meetings:
- Fourth meeting of the structured expert dialogue on the 2013-2015 review (SED 4)
- A working meeting of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition: “Preparatory Demonstrating Impact Workshop”
- The UNFCCC Nairobi work programme - Eighth Focal Point Forum - Within the context of the relevant COP decisions and SBSTA conclusions on the NWP, the discussions at this year’s Forum focused on:
- Sharing good practices, lessons learned and key challenges on adaptation planning and actions, as presented in the submissions from Parties and NWP partner organizations, in four areas: ecosystems, human settlements, water resources and health;
- Implementing mandated activities under the NWP through collaborative actions of partner organizations;
- Discussing modalities to improve the production and dissemination of adaptation knowledge, including through innovative communications tools and collaborative actions.
Follow-up actions
It will be important to raise awareness of the fact that the decision of Governments “to continue the technical examination of opportunities with high mitigation potential, including those with adaptation, health and sustainable development co-benefits” presents an entry point to simultaneously promote health and greenhouse gas mitigation. This is equally relevant for countries that are already known to be supportive, and for countries for which this may not yet be part of their official negotiating positions, but already suffer from significant burdens of disease from unsustainable energy and development choices (i.e. all countries).
WHO plans to advance this agenda through, inter alia, the linked discussions of climate change and air pollution at the January 2015 Executive Board meeting and world Health Assembly; meetings with interested Member States at the ADP negotiation meeting in Geneva in February 2015, and subsequent meetings in the run up to Paris 2015; and through the ongoing activities of its technical programme.
1) WHO is committed to collaboration with its partners in the health community to promote the most effective climate change agreement possible, and the most constructive representation of health within it, in December 2015 .
2) In partnership with Switzerland and potentially other MS, organize a meeting in the margins of the Geneva negotiation meeting in February 2015, to bring together selected climate negotiators, representatives of their Geneva missions , and WHO, to discuss how to maintain and strengthen reference to health in the text.
3) Follow through on accreditation process for WHO to become an implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund.
4) Collaborate under the Nairobi work programme, in line with the SBSTA 40 mandate, in developing case studies which highlight good practices and lessons learned for adaptation planning addressing health.
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