The United Nations Climate Change Conference Baku (COP29) marked a significant milestone in the global effort to integrate health and climate action. COP29 is building on commitments made at previous UN Climate Change Conferences (COPs) and pushing forward the agenda to protect health in the face of climate change. At the heart of this progress was a high-level event, COP Presidencies bringing Health at the Centre of Climate Agenda, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), Spain, Azerbaijan and the COP29 Presidency. Leaders underscored the need for continuity and synergy in climate-health initiatives, with a critical emphasis on translating past pledges into action. A highlight of the COP29 proceedings was the signing of the Letter of Intent officially establishing of the Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health.
"This initiative unites the visionary leadership of five COP presidencies that span this critical time for action, underscoring a commitment to elevate health within the climate agenda." Said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, "This coalition represents a collective will to prioritize climate and health now and for the future."
The coalition, co-led by Azerbaijan, Brazil, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to provide a long standing framework to drive impactful health outcomes from past climate commitments. By bridging efforts across COP presidencies, the coalition reinforces sustained action and ensures ongoing momentum on critical health priorities as COP30 approaches.
Milestones achieved and strategic objectives moving forward
Aligned with the goals of the Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition, the event underscored progress achieved since the first Health Day at COP28, with key discussions focused on:
- Operationalizing Climate-Health Financing: The Guiding Principles for Financing Climate and Health Solutions were further solidified as a framework to engage and amplify partnerships at the national level. Efforts to enhance resource mobilization and technical assistance were highlighted, ensuring greater resilience in health systems globally.
- Showcasing Climate-Health Synergy Success Stories: Various nations shared success stories exemplifying integrated health and climate strategies, inspiring broader adoption of effective approaches that can be scaled globally. These initiatives illustrated the measurable benefits of multilateral and bilateral partnerships in addressing the health impacts of climate change.
- Scaling Innovative financing mechanisms: discussions explored public-private partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms to sustain health resilience against climate change. Leaders discussed approaches for scaling up investments, leveraging both public and private resources to support country-led climate-health actions.
- Strengthening country-level collaboration: fostered dialogue on expanding country-level partnerships and providing targeted technical assistance to implement climate-health initiatives. This renewed commitment to in-country support aims to amplify efforts toward building adaptive and resilient health systems.
Human health and climate change are fundamentally linked. At COP29, our agenda reflects the cross-cutting nature of health as an issue that touches all aspects of human life. The COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health is another step towards synergistic action on climate and health," said COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, "We urge future Presidencies to consider how they will account for health at future COPs."
A platform for global collaboration
This roundtable at COP29 provided a unique platform for exchanging best practices, identifying priorities, and forging partnerships among governments, international organizations, financial institutions, and philanthropies. Together, these actors are committed to addressing the intersecting crises of climate change and health.
The Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health will guide global health-climate initiatives toward COP30 and beyond.
With these outcomes, COP29 sets the stage for an era where health considerations are seamlessly integrated into climate policies, aiming for a healthier, more resilient future for all.
