A global commission urged WHO to declare climate change an international public health emergency, warning that governments are failing to address escalating threats to health, food, water, energy and security.
An independent commission made up of former heads of government, international organization officials, ministers and civil society leaders on Sunday urged the World Health Organization to declare climate change an international public health emergency.
The Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health, chaired by former Icelandic prime minister Katrin Jakobsdottir and convened by WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge, brought together 13 former heads of government, international organization officials, ministers and civil society leaders from across the WHO European Region, which includes 53 countries.
Meeting in Geneva, the commission released a Call to Action urging the WHO “to formally declare climate change a public health emergency of international concern.”
The commission said the current framework of the International Health Regulations was not designed to address climate-related threats and warned that existing rules have failed to keep pace with the scale of the crisis.
“The absence of a formal emergency designation has allowed governments to treat climate change as a chronic background condition rather than an acute, escalating threat that is already evident,” the commission said.
It also urged governments to recognize climate change as an immediate and worsening crisis instead of a future risk.
Highlighting the growing impacts of climate change on health, food, water, energy and national security, the commission warned that current responses remain inadequate.
The group further called on heads of government to place climate and health issues on the agenda of national security councils while engaging all relevant ministries.
“The health and economic case for acting now is unambiguous. The cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of early mitigation and adaptation,” the commission said.
It also stressed the need to strengthen the climate resilience of health systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by training health professionals on climate and health issues and integrating key climate indicators into national health system assessments.
The commission urged governments and the international community to establish monitoring systems with metrics that place health, equity and environmental sustainability at the center of decision-making.
It additionally called on the WHO to strengthen coordination on climate and health across the United Nations system.
“Far from being a problem solely for future generations, it is a real and present threat to us right now in Europe. Climate action is not merely a necessity. It is a high-return investment for a more just and resilient society. We all have a political and moral responsibility to act now,” Jakobsdottir said.
