What can we we expect from health talks at COP28? | Explained

The Story So Far

On December 3, the global health landscape is expected to reach a turning point. For the first time in 28 years of climate change negotiations, the climate-health nexus will take centre stage at the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP28) summit in UAE. The ‘groundbreaking Health Day at COP28’, as President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber put it, is expected to pose two questions: how public health can become resilient to climate change, and who will finance this transformation.

Growing Impact of Climate Crises

Growing evidence has highlighted the profound ways in which climate crises erode socioeconomic and environmental conditions. Unabated greenhouse gas emissions are triggering extreme weather events, air pollution, food insecurity, water scarcity, and population displacement — which, in turn, alter the trajectory of vector-borne diseases and endanger public health infrastructures. And this chain of climate-related health events is not unfolding evenly around the world: Africa, Asia, South and Central America, and small island developing states, which have contributed the least to climate change, are bearing the brunt. In India, particulate air pollution is said to be the ‘greatest threat to human health’, and heat-related deaths may kill an additional 10 lakh people annually by 2090, according to data from the Lancet Countdown and the Climate Vulnerable Forum. If countries fail to meet emission targets set under the Paris Agreement, climate change-related events will cause at least 34 lakh deaths per year, by the end of this century.

What Does It Mean to Have a ‘Health Day’ at COP28?

In September, Dr. Al Jaber spoke in the backdrop of the New York Climate Week: “The connection between health and climate change is evident, yet it has not been a specific focus of the COP process — until now. This must change.”

Health is not a stranger to climate change talks. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognises the health impacts of climate change; the 2016 Paris Agreement acknowledged the right to health; last year’s COP27 mentioned the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in its cover decision. “Health events have been held at COP for several years, including at the WHO Health Pavillion, but this is the first time there has been an official ‘Health Day’,” says Jess Beagley, policy lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA).

The designated Health Day, on December 3, is dedicated to discussing the “Health, Relief, Recovery and Peace”, as per the COP28 website. The entire day of health programming will also include the first-ever Health Inter-ministerial meeting, with ministers of health, environment, finance and other types of ministries joining in. At least 80 Health Ministries globally, top officials from the World Health Organization (including Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus) and about 500 practitioners, researchers, NGOs and representatives from the healthcare industry are expected to join in.

However, a “Health Day in itself doesn’t necessarily mean that health will be reflected in the negotiations,” said Dr. Jeni Miller, executive director of GCHA, at a pre-COP28 press briefing. Health may be part of the thematic programming but it is not explicitly integrated in the negotiation process as yet. “One of the things we need to see to determine whether this is truly a ‘Health COP’ is whether the focus on health carries on to negotiations,” she says. This doesn’t mean that health has to be mentioned in each negotiating streams, but leaders should be making decisions for health.

A lot is riding on COP28. Parties are expected to deliver the first-ever Global Stocktake, a comprehensive assessment of the progress made towards climate targets set by the Paris Agreement. The targets require signatories to restrict the rise in average worldwide temperatures to below 2·0°C, and to no more than 1 ·5°C, in comparison with pre-industrial levels. If health is included in the Global Stocktake, it would make health a key metric, and “ensure one of the ways we measure our progress on climate action is through assessing how we’re doing on public health”, Dr. Jeni said.

What Is Up for Discussion?

The Climate and Health Declaration of COP28 is expected to include dialogue on mitigating emissions (where a fossil fuel phase-out will be challenged), health sector adaptation to climate change, mainstreaming of health into climate policies, and the contentious question of climate financing for health.

The draft “health and climate ministerial declaration” to be disclosed at the COP, however, doesn’t mention fossil fuels, according to a report by the Health Policy Watch. The Declaration recognises the need for climate mitigation and in passing makes note of air pollution-linked health harms. It, however, does not identify ‘fossil fuels’ — coal, oil and gas — as a driver of health threats or emphasise the need to end fossil fuel dependence. Fossil fuels are seen as the largest contributor to global climate change: they account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. Ms. Beagley adds, “Many governments seek to profit from the continued extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, despite the undeniable health harms.” Fossil fuels are not only the leading driver of the climate crisis, but fossil fuel extraction, transport, processing, and combustion also harm local communities through air, water, and soil pollution.

“Adaptation is essential, but we cannot adapt our way out of the crisis,” said British epidemiologist Sir Andy Haines at the press briefing, adding that a commitment to phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy would be an important health outcome. “We need to cut emissions very rapidly…If we move from fossil fuels to renewable energy, for instance, we reduce preventable deaths of air pollution as well as reduce the risk of dangerous climate change.”

The health sector itself needs to adapt too: the global carbon footprint of healthcare amounts to about 4-5% of total global emissions. “We need to decarbonise the health system itself. About 60% of those emissions are embedded in the supply chain,” said Sir Haines. Health talks are expected to focus on the health sector’s move towards net zero health supply chains.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
• SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
• SDG 17.2: Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 3.9: Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to air pollution.
• Indicator for SDG 13.1: Number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.
• Indicator for SDG 17.2: Level of policy coherence for sustainable development.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: thehindu.com

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