Underlying principles for climate and health priorities for Africa at COP27

The document argues that for climate action in Africa to be effective, it must merge the 'climate framing of the north' with the 'development framing of the south', ensuring that 'net zero' translates to 'zero poverty'. It identifies five core policy priorities: amplifying African voices and inclusion, integrating adaptation and mitigation with health, building trust to overcome political instability, targeting finance toward the most vulnerable, and utilizing appropriate indigenous technology. The briefing specifically highlights the 'energy, health, and climate dilemma', where lack of modern energy leads to indoor air pollution and health deprivation, and the 'food, climate and health nexus', where industrialised food systems drive both greenhouse gas emissions and a rise in non-communicable diseases like obesity alongside chronic hunger. It calls for the decarbonisation of healthcare systems and the inclusion of climate change in health worker training to build resilience across the continent.

• Effective climate action in Africa requires a synthesis of Northern climate perspectives and Southern development perspectives, with the ultimate goal that "net zero" should mean "zero poverty".
• The document proposes five policy priorities for COP27: ensuring African voice and inclusion, joining adaptation, mitigation, pollution, and health actions, building trust to mitigate instability, targeting finance to the most needy areas, and adopting appropriate technology including indigenous knowledge.
• Energy access is described as a critical enabler for climate resilience; however, current energy poverty in Africa causes significant health issues, particularly indoor air pollution from fuelwood, which disproportionately affects women.
• Africa faces a dual food crisis where industrialised food systems and 'Western-style diets' increase obesity and non-communicable diseases, while climate-driven changes in temperature and precipitation increase undernutrition and famine, specifically noted in East Africa.
• To build climate-resilient health systems, the document advocates for the implementation of Health National Adaptation Plans (HNAPs), the decarbonisation of healthcare facilities to remove 'carbon hotspots', and the integration of climate change into health worker curricula.
• The briefing emphasizes the need for a just energy transition that includes ending fossil fuel subsidies and the allocation of new rights for coal, oil, gas drilling, and fracking, while de-risking renewable energy investments.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2022). Underlying principles for climate and health priorities for Africa at COP27. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HCN-Shaping-COP27-around-African-climate-and-health-priorities-final.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. Underlying principles for climate and health priorities for Africa at COP27. 2022. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HCN-Shaping-COP27-around-African-climate-and-health-priorities-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=Underlying principles for climate and health priorities for Africa at COP27 |date=August 2022 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HCN-Shaping-COP27-around-African-climate-and-health-priorities-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliance2022underlying, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{Underlying principles for climate and health priorities for Africa at COP27}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HCN-Shaping-COP27-around-African-climate-and-health-priorities-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }