Country representatives attending the COP28 summit in Dubai have placed emphasis on the health implications of climate change, including the 7 million annual deaths attributed to air pollution. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus discussed the urgent need to address these health threats, marking the summit’s inaugural “Health Day.”
The discussions also centered on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and increasing diseases such as cholera and malaria due to climate-induced weather changes. Pope Francis, participating remotely, called for overcoming nationalism-induced challenges.
An important announcement came from 50 oil and gas companies committing to near-zero methane emissions by 2030. However, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized these pledges for excluding emissions from fossil fuel consumption.
U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry also underscored the impact of climate change on human health and migration while highlighting efforts by the US to reduce health sector emissions. This includes measures to reduce anesthesia waste emissions across hospitals nationwide.
The COP28 declaration, backed by 120 countries, acknowledges the connection between health and climate change but stops short of addressing fossil fuel phase-out. Instead, it concentrates on curbing healthcare sector pollution. (NNT)
