World Health Organization, 2024
COP29 special report on climate and health
Health is the argument for climate action
Climate change is making us sick, and urgent action is a matter of life and death. From the direct effects of extreme weather and air pollution to the indirect consequences of ecosystem disruption and social instability, climate change threatens physical and mental health, well-being, and life itself. These impacts are not distant or abstract – they are felt now, through record-breaking temperatures in India, deadly floods in Kenya and Spain, megafires in the Amazon, and hurricanes in the United States. The hardest hit are often those least responsible for emissions. Prioritizing health and well-being in climate action is not only a moral and legal imperative but a strategic opportunity to unlock transformative health benefits, secure economic opportunity, and ensure a just and equitable future.
Despite climate impacts that far exceed scientific models, fossil fuel emissions continue to increase, with record-high carbon emissions in 2023 and US$ 7 trillion in explicit and implicit fossil fuel subsidies in 2022. For the health community, this is incoherent and directly at odds with our duty to safeguard health.
The COP29 Special Report on Climate Change and Health outlines priority actions from the global health community for governments, policy-makers, and other sectors to place health at the heart of climate solutions. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) with over 100 organizations and 300 experts, this report emphasizes health as the definitive argument for climate action across people, place and planet. Fundamental to these actions is the urgent need to end fossil fuel reliance and ensure people-centred adaptation and resilience.