Climate change is recognised as the greatest health threat of the 21st century, while action on climate change could offer the greatest health opportunity.
Health may not formally be on the agenda here in Bonn, but it flows through the veins of these negotiations. From health metrics as one option to measure progress towards the GGA (put forward by the Adaptation Committee last year), to whether future themes of the Koronivia joint work on agriculture might include malnutrition in all its forms, to health co-benefits through delivery of an ambitious mitigation work programme, to the AOSIS proposal to consider climate-smart health projects under Article 6, and to finance needed for health impacts alongside other losses and damages – mitigation and adaptation in the health sector should be monitored alongside other sectors as part of the Global Stocktake.
Climate change drives heatwaves and other extreme weather events, vector- and water-borne disease transmission, food and water insecurity, malnutrition, and negative mental health impacts, undermining the right to health. In addition, millions of deaths occur due to air pollution, which shares a common toxic root cause with climate change: fossil fuels. We all know someone who has had a heart attack or a stroke, maybe a close relative, a mother, a grandfather or a colleague. Did you know that 20% of all cardiovascular deaths alone are related to air pollution – more than three million deaths every year, with additional deaths from stroke and lung diseases, and millions more emergency room visits due to asthma? Imagine the pain, the work of doctors, nurses and other health professionals – and the financial cost that could be avoided. Accelerating a just phase-out of fossil fuels use is the most critical action to avoid these health emergencies.
Bad prognosis? What’s the treatment?
Urgent climate action can contribute to protecting human and planetary health as well as our economies. Diseases and deaths themselves are considered under “non-economic” losses and damages by the UNFCCC, but nevertheless have associated costs, whether because of health care provision or reduced work and labour productivity.
These costs exceed the costs of mitigation in many countries. In the 15 countries that emit the most greenhouse gas emissions, the health impacts of air pollution are estimated to cost more than 4% of their GDP – actions to meet the Paris goals would cost around 1% of global GDP. Parties have a choice to make between continuing to subsidise and invest in fossil fuels, locking in cycles which will fuel unhealthy societies, or to invest now in action to ensure a just phase-out of all fossil fuels locally and globally to enable healthy lives and a healthy planet.
We highlight the importance of framing a COP27 outcome in the context of health, specifically one that “Recognizes that stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations will promote health and positive health outcomes for people and planet.” Fossil fuel phase out will be a key enabler of this goal, along with the promotion of clean transport and active mobility, green urban infrastructure and buildings, sustainable food systems that support healthy and sustainable diets… but that’s an ECO article for another day!