Guidance to members of the climate and health community seeking to support governments to embed health more deeply in their NDCs

The document outlines seven criteria for 'health-inclusive' NDCs, including alignment with 1.5°C warming limits, healthcare sector adaptation, and the reduction of super-pollutants. It provides a roadmap for civil society to engage governments, suggests interministerial coordination strategies, and identifies common barriers—such as ministerial silos and lack of data—alongside corresponding solutions to ensure health is prioritised in national climate plans.

• Current NDCs are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C; if existing plans are fully implemented, temperatures could reach 2.1-2.8°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100.
• While 91% of countries mentioned health in their NDCs according to a 2023 WHO review, only 29% allocated climate finance to health actions or plans, and only 10% quantified or monitored health co-benefits of mitigation.
• A 'healthy' NDC must meet seven specific criteria: alignment with 1.5°C warming limits, action within the healthcare sector, action in health-determining sectors, reduction of super-pollutants, financial considerations, timebound targets/indicators, and addressing the needs of the most affected populations.
• Reducing super-pollutants (short-lived climate pollutants like methane and black carbon) can act as an 'emergency brake' on warming and avoid four times more warming by 2050 than policies focused solely on CO2.
• Integrating health into NDCs can provide economic incentives; in some cases, health cost savings from air quality improvements under the Paris Agreement exceed the costs of implementation.
• Effective government implementation of health-inclusive NDCs requires interministerial coordination between health, climate, and finance ministries, as well as the appointment of dedicated climate and health focal points.

APA

Beagley, J. (2025). Guidance to members of the climate and health community seeking to support governments to embed health more deeply in their NDCs. Global Climate and Health Alliance. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NDC-Guidance_Supporting-Health-Inclusive-National-Climate-Plans.pdf

Chicago

Beagley, Jess. Guidance to members of the climate and health community seeking to support governments to embed health more deeply in their NDCs. Global Climate and Health Alliance, 2025. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NDC-Guidance_Supporting-Health-Inclusive-National-Climate-Plans.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beagley |first1=Jess |title=Guidance to members of the climate and health community seeking to support governments to embed health more deeply in their NDCs |publisher=Global Climate and Health Alliance |date=2025 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NDC-Guidance_Supporting-Health-Inclusive-National-Climate-Plans.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beagley2025guidance, author = {Beagley, Jess}, title = {{Guidance to members of the climate and health community seeking to support governments to embed health more deeply in their NDCs}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2025}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NDC-Guidance_Supporting-Health-Inclusive-National-Climate-Plans.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }