More than 120 countries endorse COP28 health and climate declaration

The ‘COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health’, unveiled by the COP28 Presidency and the World Health Organization (WHO), places health at the heart of climate action and urges accelerated development of climate-resilient, sustainable and equitable health systems. To back the statement, several financial commitments on climate and health were announced. Endorsed by 123 countries, the Declaration, and the COP attendance of several Health Ministers alongside their Environmental colleagues, mark a world first in governments acknowledging the growing health impacts of climate change on communities and countries.

The Declaration acknowledges the need for governments to protect communities and prepare healthcare systems to cope with climate-related health impacts such as extreme heat, air pollution and infectious diseases. It covers a range of action areas at the nexus of climate and health, including building more climate-resilient health systems, strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration to reduce emissions and maximize the health benefits of climate action, as well as the increasing finance for climate and health solutions.

The Declaration and its signatories can be consulted on the COP28 website.

On 3 December, also the European Commission, on behalf of the EU, backed the Declaration on Climate and Health.