A COP29 for People and Planet

The Global Climate and Health Alliance presents a set of recommendations for COP29, arguing that climate action is a public health imperative. The document calls for the phase-out of fossil fuels, the establishment of a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance of at least USD 1 trillion per year, and the integration of health outcomes into National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and adaptation planning. It emphasizes the need to protect vulnerable populations, reform food systems toward agroecology, and manage conflicts of interest by reducing the influence of polluters in UNFCCC policymaking.

• The document argues that fossil fuel dependence is the primary commercial determinant of climate change and its health impacts, and that a phase-out is a "public health imperative" that could save millions of lives annually.
• The authors recommend a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance with a minimum public finance target of USD 1 trillion per year from developed to developing countries, primarily in grants, to avoid debt cycles.
• Health considerations should be embedded in national policies, including NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), with a specific focus on limiting warming to 1.5C and optimizing health co-benefits across sectors.
• The report calls for the capitalization of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage to address health needs and the use of the Santiago Network to quantify health-related losses, including non-economic and slow-onset damages.
• The document advocates for a transition to agroecology and sustainable healthy diets to improve nutrition security and reduce emissions, while calling for an end to industrial agriculture due to risks of antimicrobial resistance and disease spillover.
• To ensure policy integrity, the document recommends strengthening the UNFCCC Conflict of Interest Policy to limit the influence of fossil fuel and agro-industrial lobbyists, citing the regulation of tobacco and alcohol as successful models.
• The report emphasizes that adaptation planning must reflect both physical and mental health outcomes, noting a USD 11.1 billion annual adaptation finance shortfall for the health sector in developing countries by 2030.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2024). A COP29 for People and Planet. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/COP29-UPDATED_Digital_NOV-11.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. A COP29 for People and Planet. 2024. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/COP29-UPDATED_Digital_NOV-11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=A COP29 for People and Planet |date=2024 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/COP29-UPDATED_Digital_NOV-11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliance2024cop29, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{A COP29 for People and Planet}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2024}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/COP29-UPDATED_Digital_NOV-11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }