COP29 | WHO: Ensuring Health is Prioritized at Every Climate Conference

On November 20, Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters, told The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) that the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change had recently hosted a “Health Day” themed event. The WHO announced at a high-level event that a coalition formed by the five successive presidencies from COP26 to COP30 would ensure that health is prioritized on the agenda of each annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
COP29 was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, from November 11-22.
Maria noted that compared to previous climate conferences, there has been a noticeable shift in the discussion of health issues at the climate conference. For instance, a series of activities and exhibitions were featured in the health corner, and health has become a priority topic in key areas such as energy, agriculture, peaceful development, and migration.
“Health issues serve as a great impetus for the climate conference to drive forward negotiations,” Maria said. The WHO has been consistently attending climate conferences since COP26, hoping that health issues would receive increasing attention in discussions on climate change.
“We hope that delegates understand that the impact of climate change on health is becoming more significant. At the same time, if we pay more attention to climate change and health, and work to mitigate the impacts of climate change, it will benefit the entire society and all of humanity,” Maria said.
On November 18, COP29 hosted a “Health Day” themed event. The WHO believes that health issues are the most critical topics that must be discussed in climate action. They proposed accelerating the transition from traditional energy to clean energy, establishing a more sustainable food system to provide healthier and safer diets, and accelerating the transformation of healthy urban planning. Additionally, they advocated for countries to fully consider health issues when submitting their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
In 2024, with record-breaking high temperatures and frequent meteorological disasters, health issues have never been more important. Even at climate conferences where fossil fuels and energy targets dominate, COP28 in 2023 prioritized “health” by establishing “Health Day” for the first time, hosting a high-level meeting of climate and health ministers, and incorporating health issues into the agenda. The number of climate and health-themed activities reached at least 90 within two weeks, the highest in history (excluding COP29).
On December 2, 2023, 143 major economies, including China and the United States, signed the “Climate and Health Declaration,” stating that they would “place health at the center of global climate action.” This was the first time countries reached a consensus to prepare for high heatwaves, air pollution, infectious diseases, and potential food and nutrition crises brought by climate change.