Building the Climate Change and Health Field: Placing Health at the Centre of the Global Climate Negotiations

Within the overall Wellcome Trust-WHO strategic partnership on climate change and health, the project aims to bring a step change in the engagement and impact of health perspectives, evidence and voices as a strong, coherent and positive contribution to the UN Climate Change negotiations from 2022-2024. This will in turn support health resilience to climate risks, and maximize the health gains of climate mitigation actions. The project will build on WHO’s comparative advantages in leading the health community, convening world- leading expertise, providing evidence, guidance and technical support, and direct connection to national Governments. It will co-develop “demand-driven”, policy-relevant global and regional research agendas, to create demand for health evidence to be integrated into international and national climate action; scale up health coverage in key UNFCCC policy mechanisms at national level, through targeted training, network building and national capacity development in the countries of the WHO African and Eastern Mediterranean; and increase health influence in the UNFCCC negotiations, through supporting participation of national health representatives on national delegations at COP27 and COP28, health pavilions running an open programme of innovative health events throughout both COPs, and a global conference to build health- enhancing national negotiating positions and alliances in advance of COP28.