GCHA Submission: Consultation on the Draft NDC of Chile

The Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) submitted a consultation response to Chile's draft Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in April 2025. The submission argues that climate action should be framed through a public health lens to optimize health outcomes, increase public support, and maximize economic returns through health-related savings. GCHA provides specific recommendations across seven areas: emissions targets, governance, health impacts, the healthcare sector, health-determining sectors, finance, and the needs of marginalized groups.

• GCHA recommends that Chile align its emissions reductions target with the 1.5°C warming limit to protect populations from health hazards. While Chile's 2020 target was rated as "almost sufficient" by Climate Action Tracker, it was deemed insufficient for the 1.5°C goal. GCHA also suggests adding targets for the reduction of HFCs and tropospheric ozone to accelerate near-term air quality and emissions gains.
• The submission highlights significant public health crises in Chile linked to climate and pollution, noting that Chile has the highest number of premature deaths caused by air pollution in Latin America. It also reports that between 2013 and 2022, Chile saw the highest increase in days with very or extremely high fire danger in Latin America, adding 13 more days per year compared to the 2001–2010 period.
• GCHA identifies a gap in the draft NDC regarding the healthcare sector's own environmental footprint. Although the healthcare sector is responsible for 6.7% of Chile's national emissions, the draft NDC currently contains no specific mitigation actions for this sector. GCHA recommends developing these actions and accelerating the timeline for the health climate risk assessment, which is currently slated for completion by 2029.
• The document urges Chile to accelerate its coal phase-out, suggesting the national date be moved from 2040 to 2030. This recommendation is based on the fact that coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and emits the most health-harming air pollutants. GCHA notes that eight coal-fired units have not yet made retirement commitments.
• GCHA emphasizes the economic case for health-centric climate action, noting that premature mortality due to air pollution costs Chile 1.63% of its GDP. The submission suggests using WHO tools like CLIMAQ-H and HEAT to quantify the returns on investment for sectoral measures and recommends including specific budget lines for healthcare sector actions in the NDC.
• The submission calls for greater attention to the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples, migrants, and low-income communities. It highlights that 5.9% of Chilean households lack access to basic housing and environmental services, which acts as a significant determinant of poor health.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2025). GCHA Submission: Consultation on the Draft NDC of Chile. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Chile-NDC-Submission.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. GCHA Submission: Consultation on the Draft NDC of Chile. 2025. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Chile-NDC-Submission.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=GCHA Submission: Consultation on the Draft NDC of Chile |date=April 2025 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Chile-NDC-Submission.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalclimateandhealthalliance2025gcha, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{GCHA Submission: Consultation on the Draft NDC of Chile}}, publisher = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Chile-NDC-Submission.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }