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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

03/12/23 09:17 AM IST

COP28 summit

In News
  • For the first time in 28 years of climate change negotiations, the climate-health nexus will take centre stage at the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP28) summit in the UAE.
Focus on Health
  • India  highlighted the intricate link between climate change and public health during the health talks held under its G-20 presidency this year.
  • The connection between health and climate change is evident, yet it has not been a specific focus of the COP process — until now.
  • The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognises the health impacts of climate change.
  • Health events have been held at COP for several years, including at the WHO Health Pavilion, but this is the first time there has been an official ‘Health Day.'
  • This is also the first time there will be a health inter-ministerial meeting, with ministers of health, environment, finance and other types of ministries joining in.
Significance of Health talks
  • The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health includes dialogue on mitigating emissions, health sector adaptation to climate change, mainstreaming of health into climate policies and the sticky question of climate financing for health.
  • It recognises the need for climate mitigation, “strengthening research on the linkages between environmental and climatic factors and antimicrobial resistance”; and “intensifying efforts for the early detection of zoonotic spill-overs” to prevent future pandemics.
  • It does not mention pollution-related harms or identify ‘fossil fuels’ — coal, oil and gas — as a driver of health threats, or emphasise the need to end fossil fuel dependence.
  • Fossil fuels are seen as the largest contributor to global climate change.
  • If we move from fossil fuels to renewable energy, for instance, we reduce preventable deaths of air pollution as well as reduce the risk of dangerous climate change.
Concerns
  • Most G-20 countries, including wealthy industrialised nations responsible for the majority of historic greenhouse gas emissions, have failed to centre health in their climate action, as per a 2023 analysis by the GCHA.
  • Low-and middle-income countries like Burundi and Congo were found to be better at engaging with health concerns in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
  • This is likely to reflect the undeniable links between health and environment — and disease and climate change — which cannot be ignored in these countries whose populations are enduring the most severe health impacts of climate change.
  • Changing weather patterns and rising temperatures are altering the life cycle of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, which disproportionately impact poorer, marginalised groups.
  • Health crises triggered by warming climate are expected to chart a financial toll of around $2-4 billion annually by 2030.
  • Another estimate shows that 40% of climate-related poverty would be due to direct health impacts, as people’s income, productivity and health costs would soar.
  • Recently, the Green Climate Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the Global Fund and Rockefeller Foundation pledged a new $1 billion finance pledge for climate and health.
  • This $1 billion sum is a tremendous addition to current levels of climate and health finance.
  • The Declaration endorses climate-health funding from “domestic budgets, multilateral development banks, multilateral climate funds...”, along with philanthropies and private sector actors.
Issues in India
  • In India, particulate air pollution is said to be the “greatest threat to human health”, and heat-related deaths may kill an additional 10 lakh people annually by 2090, according to data.
  • India scored 2/15 points in the 2023 GCHA scorecard that assessed India’s inclusion of clean air in its national climate commitments.
  • India’s NDCs thus far have focused on reducing emissions intensity, transitioning to non-fossil fuel sources and creating additional carbon sinks.
  • Experts emphasised that health has to be woven across streams at the COP negotiations — which includes discussions on clean water, clean air and sustainable cities.
Source- The Hindu

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