ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND HEALTH
This section explores the intersections of global health, climate policy, and environmental risk, aiming to strengthen global governance and accelerate action to protect health in a warming world.
This page provides access to key publications, event outcomes, and ongoing discussions on the policies and practices needed to address environmental risks, climate change, and their impacts on health worldwide.
Related activities
Climate Change Negotiations and Health
This free, open-access online course, developed by the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn), provides essential information on climate change and its impacts on human health. Additionally, it offers a comprehensive overview of climate change negotiations and explores entry points for addressing health priorities within climate change policies and negotiations. The Global Health Centre contributed to the 2024 update, revising the course to reflect recent developments in health-related topics within climate meetings and negotiations.
Two-Speed Multilateralism: Can it Address the Climate and Health Agenda?
Climate change is one of the defining public health challenges of the 21st century, with impacts ranging from heat-related mortality and air pollution to food insecurity, vector-borne diseases, and mental health risks. While health received increased political attention at COP30, important questions remain about how effectively health considerations are integrated into climate mitigation, adaptation, finance, and just transition frameworks.
At the same time, global climate governance is evolving— alongside the traditional consensus-based UN process, a form of “two-speed multilateralism” is emerging, where coalitions of willing countries and non-state actors advance practical initiatives and voluntary roadmaps. As the world looks toward COP31 and the implementation of the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health, this evolving governance landscape raises important questions about how climate action can better advance health outcomes.
This hybrid event will bring together governments, international organizations, civil society, and academia to take stock of COP30 outcomes, explore opportunities to strengthen the climate–health agenda in the lead-up to COP31, and examine how new coalitions and political initiatives can accelerate action.
Health at the Heart of Climate Action: Turning Frameworks into Reality
On 20 February 2025, the Global Health Centre’s International Geneva Global Health Platform co-hosted at the @genevagraduateinstitute with the Global Climate & Health Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO) a panel discussion on the theme: “Health at the Heart of Climate Action: Turning Frameworks into Reality”.
Healthcare and Climate Change: Victim or perpetrator?
On 14 November 2022, the GHC’s International Geneva Global Health Platform held a panel discussion co-hosted with the University of Geneva (UNIGE)’s Institute of Global Health and the Geneva Health Forum on the theme “Healthcare & Climate Change: Victim or Perpetrator?” Watch the video for some highlights of the discussions!
Related Publications
Stay tuned for our upcoming Environment, Climate Change, and Health Policy Brief series.
The global governance of climate change and health
Multilateralism at Work: Getting Mercury Out of Skin Lightening Cosmetics
Strong Support Among WHO Member States for Health-Focused Action on Climate Change