Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH)

Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH)

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COP26 Health Programme

During the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the health community reached an important milestone in bringing human health at the forefront of climate change work. For the first time in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations a health programme was promoted, led by the UK government as the President of COP26, the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and the UNFCCC Climate Champions.

 

COP26 health initiatives on climate resilient and low carbon, sustainable health systems

Two of the programme’s key initiatives were to support countries in developing climate resilient and low carbon sustainable health systems, with countries starting to announce their commitments to these initiatives during the COP26 in November 2021. Commitments are anticipated to be implemented in the coming years and will allow countries to develop a roadmap for future investments in climate resilient and low carbon sustainable health systems and facilities.

 

Commitment 1: Climate resilient health systems
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  • Commit to conduct climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments (V&As) at population level and/or health care facility level by a stated target date.
  • Commit to develop a health national adaptation plan informed by the health V&A, which forms part of the National Adaptation Plan to be published by a stated target date.
  • Commit to use the V&A and HNAP to facilitate access to climate change funding for health (e.g., project proposals submitted to the Global Environmental Facility, Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, or GCF Readiness programme).

 

Commitment 2: Sustainable low carbon health systems
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  • High ambition/high emitters: Commit to set a target date by which to achieve health system net zero emissions (ideally by 2050).
  • All countries: Commitment to deliver a baseline assessment of greenhouse gas emissions of the health system (including supply chains)
  • All countries: Commit to develop an action plan or roadmap by a set date to develop a sustainable low carbon health system (including supply chains) which also considers human exposure to air pollution and the role the health sector can play in reducing exposure to air pollution through its activities and its actions.

 

As of today, over 80 countries and areas have committed at the minister of health level to 1) strengthen the climate resilience and 2) lower the emissions of health systems.

These political commitments must now be turned into action at scale and pace. 

The Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate Change and Health (ATACH) was born as a WHO-led mechanism to support delivery on the COP26 health commitments. It provides a platform for coordination; knowledge and best practice exchange; networks and access to support and link up to existing initiatives; tackling common challenges; and monitoring global progress.

The inaugural meeting to introduce ATACH was held online on 27 June. The first meetings of each of the working groups were held in September and October 2022.