In the lead up to Cop23, the annual United Nations’ climate change conference, global health and climate change leaders from around the world are preparing for discussions on implementing the health aspects of the Paris Agreement. The conference will run from November 6-17 in Bonn, Germany. This year, the conference will dedicate a high-level event to the discussion of environmental health issues. This Climate and Health Summit will consist of dialogues on The Lancet Countdown, urban air pollution and climate change in the health professional curriculum among other pressing areas.

One topic, The Lancet Countdown, tracks how actions taken in response to climate change impact human health across 40 indicators. From heatwaves to climate-sensitive diseases, food security and population displacement, the report delves into the future and immediate consequences of continuing to prolong action to address climate change. The Countdown also includes a section on economics and finance with subcategories tallying economic losses from climate-related disasters, fossil fuel subsidies, employment in low and high-carbon industries and more. While the previous 25 years have seen stilted progress, the COP agenda has accelerated commitments from 169 countries to combat climate change.

For more information on climate-related health impacts see a recent GBCHealth article here.

photo credit: UNEP