On 11 October 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its “COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health: The Health Argument for Climate Action” with a view to informing discussions at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change being held in Glasgow.
Drafted in consultation with over 150 organizations and 400 experts and health professionals, the report draws attention to the urgency of the deeply intertwined climate and health crises.
In the report WHO stresses that, while scientific evidence increasingly points to the link between rises is morbidity and mortality and climate change, very few countries currently have health adaptation plans in place and climate funds are rarely channeled towards health projects, despite the co-benefits this could bring. It proceeds to call on governments, policymakers and the health community to take immediate action by adopting ten key recommendations.
WBCSD’s business summary highlights the main findings emerging from the report and places them in the context of business action. It also highlights how these findings interact with WBCSD’s ongoing work around articulating a compelling narrative on the role of business in supporting health and wellbeing as part of the organization’s Healthy People, Healthy Business project