Progress made on climate and health must recognise the need for nature

In October last year, editors of more than 200 health journals around the world called on global leaders to recognise that climate change and biodiversity loss are one indivisible crisis that must be tackled together to preserve health. [1]

There was progress at COP28 with the first dedicated health day in 28 years of COP negotiations and the adoption of a declaration on climate change that recognised the urgency of action needed on climate change, and the benefits for health from deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, just transitions, cleaner air, active mobility, and more sustainable diets. [2]

This was followed in June by another landmark moment, when the WHO announced that action on climate change and health would be the first of their six strategic priorities for their programme of work. This was backed up by the adoption of a climate and health resolution that recognised climate change as a major threat to global health. [3]

On adoption of the resolution, WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyeseus said, “The climate crisis is a health crisis. And it’s not a hypothetical crisis in the future. It’s right here and right now. The health gains from climate mitigation and adaptation outweigh the costs and are a compelling argument for stronger climate action.” [4]

The same can be said of nature. The loss of biodiversity and the destruction of nature is a health crisis. And it’s not a hypothetical crisis in the future. It’s right here and right now. The health gains from protecting and restoring nature outweigh the costs and are a compelling argument for stronger action to protect and restore our natural environment.

The reality is that even if we could make significant enough progress in mitigating the effects of climate change and keep global warming below an increase of 1.5C over pre-industrial levels, we would still see catastrophic harms to health from the destruction of nature. 

Chair of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, Richard Smith states that humans are part of and not master of nature. “If we destroy biodiversity, we destroy ourselves.” [5] UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has put it even more bluntly, “Without nature, we have nothing.” [6] 

And yet, the need to protect nature alongside action on climate change in order to protect health seems to be neglected in major milestones such as the COP28 declaration and the WHO’s climate and health resolution.

As the 200+ journal editors say, tackling the climate and nature crises as if they are separate challenges is a dangerous mistake. [1] A report on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Health, by the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change points out that the strong interconnection between climate change and nature creates a vicious circle where each is reinforced by the other. And the common denominator in driving both the changing climate and the destruction of nature is human activities. [5]

Commenting in The Lancet this month, Vora et al say that incorporating nature-based solutions into the climate and health agenda is essential if the movement is to meet its mandate to reduce human morbidity and mortality from climate change. In practice, this means that a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of climate change, including humanity’s assault of nature, is needed to secure a liveable future. Achieving this will require a coordinated approach across all aspects of society, and critically also including the health sector. [7]

Three ways in which the health sector can drive progress in this regard are outlined:

1. By recognising humanity’s interdependence with nature through for example, education of health professionals, supply chain and energy choices that are both mitigative and reduce harm to the natural environment, and supporting patients to benefit from nature
2. By advocating for policies that advance nature-based solutions and maximise health co-benefits, working across disciplines and sectors to ensure nature based solutions are incorporated into nationally determined contributions and national climate change adaptation plans.
3. By expanding the evidence base of the health benefits of nature-based solutions through greater investments in interdisciplinary work.

In their call to global leaders before COP28, health editors called for the Biodiversity and Climate Change COP processes to be harmonised with greater integration of national climate plans with biodiversity equivalents. [1] This call reflected comments made by climate and nature scientists following a shared workshop in 2020 which concluded, “Critical leverage points include exploring alternative visions of good quality of life, rethinking consumption and waste, shifting values to the human-nature relationship, reducing inequalities, and promoting education and learning.” [8]

Following adoption of the climate and health resolution in June this year, the WHO has now started to develop its Global Plan of Action on Climate Change and Health to drive this work, with consultation on the plan commencing in August and expected to be adopted at the next World Health Assembly in May 2025. As the plan is developed, it is critical that health professionals continue to advocate for nature-based solutions to be incorporated into actions on climate and health, and push for greater recognition of the indivisible threat that climate change and nature loss present for human health. 

The forthcoming COP29 meeting in Azerbaijan in November also presents an opportunity to build on progress made at COP28, when the links between climate change and health were formally recognised, to further the case for greater acknowledgement that the destruction of nature is intertwined with climate and health and must be taken into account as we develop nationally determined contributions, adaptation plans, and global resilience.

[1] Abassi K et al (2023) Time to treat the climate and nature crisis as one indivisible global health emergency, BMJ https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj.p2355

[2] COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/cop28-uae-declaration-on-climate-and-health

[3] WHA77 Resolution on Climate Change and Health https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA77/A77_R14-en.pdf 

[4] https://x.com/DrTedros/status/1796953047551127960 

[5] Biodiversity, Climate Change and Health policy report https://s41874.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Biodiversity-Report-v6d.pdf 

[6] https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/12/1131422

[7] Vora et al (2024) Nature-based solutions are essential for climate and health action. The Lancet. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01599-X/fulltext 

[8] Otto-Portner et al (2021) Scientific outcome of the IPBES-IPCC co-sponsored workshop on biodiversity and climate change. IPBES Secretariat https://boris.unibe.ch/185025/