Health in the Global Environmental Agenda

The fact sheet outlines strategic recommendations to strengthen the nexus between health and the environment. It advocates for increased health sector participation in international negotiations (such as the UNFCCC and CBD), the adoption of health-centric metrics in national planning (like NDCs and NAPs), and the reform of chemicals governance to better protect diverse consumer groups. The document emphasizes the need for cross-sectoral collaboration between health and environmental ministries to address climate resilience, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

• There is a significant gap between national health focal points and actual representation at international climate summits; while 81 out of 95 responding ministries of health have a focal point for health and climate change, only 24 countries (12% of parties) sent a representative to COP 26.
• National climate mitigation policies rarely assess health benefits, with only 16% of 95 assessed countries doing so. Furthermore, formal cross-sectoral collaboration on mitigation is low, with agreements between health ministries and other sectors such as energy (20%), agriculture (19%), transportation (17%), and urban development (14%) being infrequent.
• The document recommends reforming chemicals governance by moving from individual listings to class-based global regulation to reduce health risks and expedite outcomes. It also suggests revising exposure thresholds to include all consumers regardless of gender, age, or diet, noting that some current thresholds are based on a "middle-aged adult male".
• In the area of biodiversity, the document calls for the adoption of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework with robust health targets and the inclusion of health values, risks, and metrics in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), which should be reviewed by health ministries.
• Developing countries face challenges in climate adaptation planning; as of 2020, over 80% were still forming their first National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and criteria for Health National Adaptation Plans (HNAPs) were only established in 2021.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2022). Health in the Global Environmental Agenda. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/health-environment-nexus-recommendations.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Health in the Global Environmental Agenda. 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/health-environment-nexus-recommendations.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Health in the Global Environmental Agenda |date=2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/health-environment-nexus-recommendations.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2022health, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Health in the Global Environmental Agenda}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/health-environment-nexus-recommendations.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }