COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH

The 'Common Position of Latin America and the Caribbean on Climate Change and Health' is a report by the Global Climate and Health Alliance and various regional signatories. It outlines the specific vulnerabilities of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region to the climate crisis, emphasizing the intersection of environmental degradation, extreme poverty, and health inequities. The document proposes a framework of six key pillars—protecting health, mitigation with health benefits, climate justice, adaptation, leadership/governance, and financing—to guide regional governments and the international community toward a health-centered climate response, particularly in preparation for COP30 in Belém do Pará, Brazil.

• The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region faces extreme climate vulnerability despite a modest global contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, which stood at 6.7% according to 2023 OECD data. However, the region's absolute emissions have tripled since 1970, and in 2024, regional temperatures exceeded the 1961-1990 average by 1.47ºC.
• Climate change is significantly increasing health risks in the LAC region, including a 54% increase in the potential for dengue transmission by Aedes aegypti between the 1951-1960 and 2013-2022 periods. Additionally, heat wave exposure for children and people aged 65 and older increased by 248% and 271% respectively between 2013-2022 compared to 1986-2005.
• Deep socioeconomic inequalities exacerbate climate health impacts in the region. The richest 10% of the population earns 12 times more than the poorest 10%, and 183 million people (three out of ten) live in poverty. These gaps are reflected in healthcare access, where 54.7% of the lowest income quintile lacks coverage compared to 26.2% in the highest quintile.
• The region's energy transition, driven by its abundance of critical minerals like lithium, copper, and nickel, presents risks of 'extractive models' that may violate the rights of Indigenous and rural communities. The report notes that 30% of the indigenous population in LAC lives in extreme poverty, and only half of those in rural areas have health system access.
• There is a critical gap in health system preparedness and scientific research regarding climate change in the LAC region. Only 10 countries have conducted health system vulnerability and adaptation assessments, and 11 have health and climate change strategies. Furthermore, scientific publications on the climate-health nexus from the region account for less than 4% of global publications.
• The report advocates for a 'just transition' in food systems to address the fact that 28.2% of the LAC population (187.6 million people) suffers from moderate or severe food insecurity, despite the region contributing 14% of global food production. It calls for a shift toward agroecology and plant-based diets to reduce emissions and improve nutritional health.
• Climate finance for health in the LAC region is insufficient; only 11.6% of projects financed by the Green Climate Fund in the region are allocated to projects with health benefits. The report demands that health indicators and cost analyses be integrated into the financing of other sectors like energy and transport.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (n.d.). COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Common-Position-of-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH. n.d. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Common-Position-of-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Common-Position-of-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliancendcommon, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Common-Position-of-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }