WHO and GCHA report gap between climate health pledges and action

A review by the World Health Organization (WHO) and an assessment by the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) reveal that national climate plans frequently mention health benefits without implementing concrete measures to protect them.

The WHO review of 114 national climate plans found that while 91% of parties referenced health, only 11% included specific targets to reduce emissions from the health sector, and only 23% estimated necessary resources for health-related climate action.

In a separate assessment of 117 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) covering 132 countries, the GCHA noted that major emitters such as the European Union, Canada, Türkiye, South Africa, Indonesia, and the UAE scored higher on health integration but lacked the emissions-reduction ambition required to safeguard public health. The GCHA highlighted that nineteen of the twenty highest-scoring countries were low- and middle-income economies, with Colombia, Nigeria, and Cambodia leading the rankings.

While the European Union included a specific target for phasing out hydrofluorocarbons, the GCHA noted a lack of specific targets for other pollutants like black carbon, nitrous oxide, or ozone among many high-emitting groups.