Component 3: Assessments of climate and health risks and GHG emissions

There are a range of assessments that can be used to generate evidence on the nature and scale of climate-related health and health systems risks, and the impact of health systems operations and GHG emissions on the environment:  

• Assessing climate change and health vulnerabilities 
• Assessing climate change vulnerabilities in healthcare facilities 
• Estimating and managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from health systems and facilities 
• Assessments of health co-benefits of climate change mitigation 

The climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation (V&A) assessment is an essential tool for health policy and programmatic planning. The objective of V&As is to assess which populations are most vulnerable to different kinds of health impacts, to identify weaknesses in the systems that should protect them, and to specify adaptation options and interventions. V&A assessments are iterative processes that involve phased investigation, periodic review, additional studies and assessments to update with new information, and active stakeholder communication. Successful assessment processes will often include inputs from academic experts, to ensure high quality evidence, as well as managerial and operational personnel to ensure relevance to policy and practice. 

Assessing the climate change vulnerabilities of health care facilities can help increase the climate resilience of health care facilities to protect and improve the health of their communities in an unstable and changing climate, while optimizing the use of resources and minimizing the release of wastes by becoming environmentally sustainable. Health systems are responsible for around 5.2% of global carbon emissions (Lancet Countdown, 2022), highlighting the need for approaches and tools to identify key emission hotspots. These measurements will inform the development of targeted decarbonization and sustainability plans. 

Furthermore, understanding the potential health co-benefits of climate action and the costs of inaction provides crucial evidence for implementing effective measures, thereby increasing the capacity of health systems to protect and promote health in a changing climate. 

For more information on the objectives, sample outputs and indicators for assessing climate and health risks and GHG emissions, see the WHO Operational Framework for building climate-resilient and low carbon health systems (under Resources).