The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku achieved a pivotal advancement in aligning health and climate agendas. Building on commitments from previous COPs, this year’s conference emphasized tangible action to safeguard global health amidst the growing challenges of climate change.
A high-level event, COP Presidencies Bringing Health at the Centre of Climate Agenda, co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), Spain, Azerbaijan, and the COP29 Presidency, served as a cornerstone of this effort. Leaders stressed the importance of continuity in climate-health initiatives, prioritizing the transformation of past promises into concrete outcomes.
Establishing the Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition
A key highlight was the formal signing of the Letter of Intent, launching the Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the coalition as “a collective will to prioritize climate and health now and for the future.”
This coalition, jointly led by Azerbaijan, Brazil, Egypt, the UAE, and the UK in collaboration with WHO, creates a durable framework to drive meaningful health outcomes linked to climate commitments. By uniting efforts across COP presidencies, the coalition ensures sustained progress on critical health priorities, setting the stage for COP30 and beyond.
Key Achievements and Future Objectives
The event celebrated milestones achieved since the inaugural Health Day at COP28 and outlined a strategic path forward:
- Advancing Climate-Health Financing
The Guiding Principles for Financing Climate and Health Solutions were refined to strengthen resource mobilization and technical support, enabling more resilient health systems worldwide. - Sharing Success Stories
Countries showcased integrated health-climate strategies, providing scalable models for global adoption and demonstrating the benefits of partnerships in addressing climate-related health challenges. - Exploring Innovative Financing Mechanisms
Discussions focused on leveraging public-private partnerships and innovative funding strategies to sustain health resilience against climate impacts, emphasizing the importance of scaling investments. - Strengthening Country-Level Collaboration
Enhanced dialogue aimed at fostering partnerships and delivering targeted technical assistance, reinforcing efforts to build adaptive, resilient health systems at the national level.
Health at the Heart of Climate Policies
COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev highlighted the intrinsic link between health and climate:
“Human health and climate change are deeply interconnected. This coalition marks a step toward synergistic action on these critical issues. We urge future Presidencies to ensure health remains central in their agendas.”
A Collaborative Global Platform
The conference offered a unique forum for governments, international organizations, financial institutions, and philanthropies to exchange best practices, forge partnerships, and address the dual crises of climate change and health.
The Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health aims to steer global initiatives through COP30 and into the future, ensuring that health considerations become a seamless part of climate policy.
With these achievements, COP29 has laid the groundwork for a healthier, more resilient world.
