Can Greater Health Focus at Glasgow Climate Conference Motivate Tougher Action on Global Warming?

Countries will have a full agenda at the upcoming climate conference in Glasgow, facing pressure to take drastic action before the ravages of global warming become irreversible.

 

Link to the source article >> https://healthpolicy-watch.news/can-greater-health-focus-at-glasgow-climate-conference-motivate-more-climate-commitments/

This year’s 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), will be a critical moment of decision on climate policies, as the clock runs down before the more severe ravages of global warming become irreversible.

Against the panoply of issues under debate, health is getting more attention from this year’s COP26 organisers as a potentially powerful motivating factor for action – although it remains to be seen if that can also translate into more concrete climate commitments from countries.

“The COP26 presidency has for the first time ever in the history of climate negotiations put a special emphasis on health – and developed a dedicated Climate Health Programme specifically for COP,” Marina Maiero, a Technical Officer in Partnership and Advocacy as part of WHO’s Climate Change and Health team, told Health Policy Watch.

“Health and the health sector will be more powerfully represented at this COP than ever before,” adds Josh Karliner, International Strategic Director of the global NGO Health Care Without Harm – which promotes greening the healthcare sector.

“While health has never been, and may never be, at the center of the climate negotiations, per se, due to the very technical nature of these talks, protecting people’s health from climate change is increasingly central to the climate conversation in and around the COP,” said Karliner in an interview with Health Policy Watch.

“In the lead up to COP 26, COVID-19 has heightened awareness of the intimate connections between climate change and health climate negotiators and health policy makers alike. Indeed, the UK COP Presidency has made health a scientific priority,” he said.

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