The occasion will clarify how excessive warmth and polluted air, are probably the most direct outcomes of local weather change and its drivers on well being, and counsel win–win options, arguing for better inclusion of well being within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agenda.

Background

Extreme warmth and polluted air are probably the most instant and direct outcomes of local weather change and its drivers on well being – including to the rising burden of noncommunicable illnesses (NCDs), the world’s largest killers right this moment.

NCDs are accountable for 74% of all deaths, primarily from cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, most cancers, diabetes, and psychological well being circumstances.

While the local weather disaster has obtained huge world consideration, probably the most mentioned well being impacts to this point have been associated to infectious illnesses. These embrace waterborne and vector-borne illnesses which might be increasing their vary with world warming, in addition to pathogens rising from animal reservoirs subjected to climate-related impacts on habitats.

While these are essential, the influence of local weather on well being because of a swelling burden of NCDs is probably a lot bigger – with rising proportion of the illness burden in growing international locations.

Articles 1 and three of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dedicated Parties to the Convention to mitigate adversarial results of local weather change on human well being and welfare. Even so, for the previous 30 years, well being has been largely ignored as a component of formal UNFCCC negotiations, and solely this 12 months, at COP28, are events convening the first-ever “Health Day” at ministerial stage.

This panel dialogue will look at methods through which well being impacts of local weather change will be acknowledged and addressed, going ahead, in each formal and casual fora. The particular focus of this occasion will likely be on climate-sensitive noncommunicable illnesses, significantly these associated to warmth stress and air air pollution.

In phrases of warmth stress, this previous July, as an example, was the most popular month ever recorded, and it appears very possible that 2023 will turn out to be the most popular 12 months on report (WMO). Progressively bigger components of the earth have gotten unsafe for outdoor work throughout a lot of the day or the 12 months. The impacts on well being vary from elevated incidence of kidney illness to extra frequent warmth strokes and extra morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular issues.  

Additionally, there are additionally well being impacts from excessive climate occasions, together with accidents and psychological well being impacts from the displacement and disruption of extreme floods, droughts, storms and wildfires, in addition to from local weather induced malnutrition and undernutrition.

Finally, there are the continual illness impacts of air air pollution, which kill 7 million individuals a 12 months, 85% because of NCDs. Air pollution are typically emitted by the identical sources as main emitters of CO₂. In addition, some key air pollution, like black carbon, ozone and methane are also short-lived local weather pollution in and of themselves.    

During the facet occasion, we are going to describe how local weather change, air air pollution and NCDs – all main crises of this century – are interlinked. We will use the highly effective assertion UN Secretary-General Guterres made throughout UNGA this 12 months as our place to begin, “The era of global warming has ended. The era of global boiling has arrived. The air is unbreathable and the heat is unbearable. And the level of fossil fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable.” 

The interlinkages are significantly obvious when contemplating the suite of SDGs and sub-targets interlinked to well being and local weather. These embrace SDG goal 3.4, which goals to cut back NCD mortality by one third and SDG goal 3.9 lowering air air pollution deaths. Related to those, are SDG goal 7.1 making certain entry to inexpensive, dependable and fashionable vitality providers; SDG goal 11.6 lowering air air pollution in sustainable cities and communities; and SDG 13 on local weather motion.

Event description

During the occasion, panellists will first clarify the proof across the aforementioned local weather, well being and NCD linkages.

The occasion will then concentrate on win–win options that cut back local weather and well being hazards, by way of the part out of fossil fuels, cooking on strong fuels and open-air burning will cut back well being dangers significantly amongst individuals dwelling with continual well being circumstances, and different susceptible teams.

Finally, the occasion will talk about how well being will be higher included into UNFCCC negotiations, nationwide local weather motion plans, finance and reporting processes, in addition to how well being staff can play a job in lowering exposures by selling better consciousness.

Date: 30 November 2023 13:00–14:00 (GMT+4) within the SDG pavilion – Blue Zone