Submission to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, Second Technical Call

This submission to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, prepared by the World Health Organization and the Global Climate and Health Alliance, advocates for the systematic integration of public health and the healthcare sector into climate policymaking. It emphasizes that climate action can yield significant health co-benefits, while the healthcare sector itself is a major emitter that must transition to low-carbon, resilient systems.

• Climate change is identified as the most significant health threat of the 21st century, with climate-sensitive threats already causing millions of avoidable deaths every year.
• Mitigation efforts in energy, transport, and food/agriculture sectors can provide substantial health co-benefits. In nine specific countries (Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK, and the USA), these actions could avoid 1.18 million, 1.15 million, and 5.86 million deaths annually by 2040, respectively.
• The healthcare sector is a significant contributor to global emissions, accounting for 4.9% of the global total, and represents approximately 10% of global GDP.
• While many countries have integrated health into climate planning, financing remains a critical barrier; 70% of countries surveyed by the WHO reported that financing was a major obstacle to implementing health adaptation policies.
• There is a significant gap in climate finance specifically for health; between 2018 and 2020, only 0.3% ($14.0 million) of multilateral climate change adaptation funding was directed specifically at the healthcare sector.
• Health impacts are recognized as non-economic losses under loss and damage. Research indicates that approximately one third of heat-related deaths in recent decades can be attributed to human-induced climate change, based on data from 43 countries.
• Analysis of 94 updated or enhanced NDCs as of October 2021 showed that while 90% reflect health and climate linkages, only 28% recognized or assessed the health co-benefits of mitigation.
• Cities are critical for climate action as they are responsible for 70% of global emissions and house 55% of the global population.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2022). Submission to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, Second Technical Call. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Submission-by-World-Health-Organization-Global-Climate-and-Health-Alliance-and-Partners_August-2022_edit.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. Submission to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, Second Technical Call. 2022. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Submission-by-World-Health-Organization-Global-Climate-and-Health-Alliance-and-Partners_August-2022_edit.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=Submission to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, Second Technical Call |date=August 2022 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Submission-by-World-Health-Organization-Global-Climate-and-Health-Alliance-and-Partners_August-2022_edit.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliance2022submission, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{Submission to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, Second Technical Call}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Submission-by-World-Health-Organization-Global-Climate-and-Health-Alliance-and-Partners_August-2022_edit.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }