Second Global Conference on Health and Climate in Paris, France

Article contributed by subscriber: Mr. Amit Aaryan, New Delhi

With the aim to build healthier and more sustainable societies, the second Global Conference on Health and Climate was held on July 7-8, 2016, in Paris, France. The Conference showcased how the public health community will support the implementation of the Paris agreement.

According to a statement released by World Health Organization (WHO), the Paris Agreement marks the beginning of a new era in the global response to climate change. The world now has a global climate agreement that will have a major public health policy impact as countries taken action. As stated in the agreement, “The right to health”, will be central to the actions taken.

The agreement not only sets ambitious aims to curb greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming well below 2°C, it also commits countries to strengthen adaptation. This includes implementing plans that should protect human health from the worst impacts of climate change, such as air pollution, heat waves, floods and droughts, and the ongoing degradation of water resources and food security. It commits countries to finance clean and resilient futures in the most vulnerable countries.

Through monitoring and revision of national contributions every five years, the world will begin to see improvements not only in the environment, but also in health, including reductions in the more than 7 million deaths worldwide that are attributed to air pollution every year.

WHO and the Government of France, holding the Presidency of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, had jointly hosted the Conference.