Climate Change Negotiations and Health

It is increasingly evident that environmental challenges have an impact on human health, reinforcing existing risks. For instance, it is estimated that climate change will cause around 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 – linked to issues ranging from malnutrition to heat stress, with direct costs to health expected to be between USD 2-4 billion/year by 20301. Also, the current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the important interlinkages between human health and the state of our environment and economies.

With the recognition that the equilibrium between people and planet is one of the fundamental issues of our time, this online course delves into the interlinkages between climate change and health, with particular reference to the international climate change policy process and the need for a healthy a green recovery from COVID-19.

Specifically, the course aims to support delegates attending the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and participating in climate diplomacy. It also provides valuable insights for the professionals involved in the development and implementation of national climate change and health policies.

The ultimate objective of the course is to support participants in addressing health within climate change negotiations and national policy processes, as well as in considering climate change in health policies.

After completing the course, participants will be able to:

The course features key information on climate change and its impacts on human health, provides an overview of the climate change negotiations so far, and considers entry points to address health issues and priorities within climate change negotiations and policies. It is divided into six lessons:

Lesson 1: Introduction to Health and Climate Change