Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing

The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing, drafted in December 2012 by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, asserts that health must be a central priority in global and national policy responses to climate change. It argues that protecting human health is a primary motivation for climate action and calls for the integration of health impacts and co-benefits into all climate-related decisions, including mitigation and adaptation strategies.

• The declaration argues that health is a fundamental driver for climate action, as climate change impacts human health both directly—via infectious diseases, food and water insecurity, and extreme weather—and indirectly through migration, conflict, and economic instability. It notes that while all populations are at risk, children, women, poorer people, and those in developing nations are particularly vulnerable.
• Climate action is presented as a means to deliver widespread health benefits. Specifically, reducing fossil fuel use improves air quality and saves millions of lives; transitioning to active lifestyles and public transport increases physical activity and reduces pollution; and improving building insulation protects against extreme temperatures while lowering energy use.
• The signatories call for several specific policy shifts, including the full evaluation and costing of health impacts in climate decisions, the inclusion of health and wellbeing in assessments of climate-related loss and damage, the cessation of global fossil fuel subsidies, and the decarbonisation of energy supplies.
• The document advocates for the active inclusion of the health sector in the design and leadership of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts worldwide, alongside more inclusive consultation processes that incorporate the views of women, young people, and indigenous people.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2019). Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/who-we-are/about/doha-declaration/

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing. 2019. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/who-we-are/about/doha-declaration/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing |date=11 March 2019 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/who-we-are/about/doha-declaration/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalclimateandhealthalliance2019doha, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing}}, publisher = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/who-we-are/about/doha-declaration/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }