At the United Nations Climate Change Conference Baku (COP29,) the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) presented the “future we want” – climate resilience and health for all – and outlined the action needed to get there.
The challenges posed by climate change impact everyone’s health, requiring global action for climate mitigation and adaptation in health and other sectors. ATACH, with the addition of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of Tonga during COP29, brings together 92 Member States and over 70 partners to share knowledge and best practices to build climate resilient and sustainable health systems, advance climate health commitments, and advocate for health promoting action in other sectors.
“We welcome Azerbaijan and Tonga to the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, and their commitment to advancing action on climate change and health at the country level,” said Elena Villalobos Prats, ATACH Secretariat Lead at the World Health Organization. “The future we want – the future the next generation deserves – must be built on a foundation of global collaboration. The Alliance is how we ensure a healthier future for all.”
On Tuesday, 19 November 2024, ATACH hosted a full day of events at the COP29 Health Pavilion, bringing together key constituencies and stakeholders in climate change and health around the desired future for action at the nexus of climate change and health. Sessions covered included climate resilient health systems; low carbon, sustainable health systems; climate-health financing; gender and equity in climate and health; and the health co-benefits of climate action.
The thematic day explored what success would look like for health systems working to deliver commitments and priorities on climate change and health at a country level, “the future we want,” and steps needed to achieve this success. Climate change and air pollution are not limited by country borders; effective action must be taken with the collective will of the global community. ATACH will continue to engage in future COPs to address the needs of Member States to achieve the future we want, for all.
Watch recordings of all sessions here.
About the Alliance
ATACH was established in 2022 at COP26 to build climate resilient, sustainable and low carbon health systems, implement climate health priorities and commitments at a country level and advocate for health promoting climate action in all sectors. Since then, ATACH has rapidly grown to include over 90 committed countries, over 70 non-State partner organizations, and numerous interested stakeholders, working together to advance implementation of commitments and other priorities on climate change and health. ATACH Members share knowledge through the Alliance Community of Practice and contribute to a public repository of practical resources including case studies on country experiences and a library of “first wins” interventions – to share best practices, lessons learned and technical approaches in climate and health work