The Global Center on Adaptation – Wellcome Trust Health and Climate Adaptation Dinner on the Sidelines of COP29

The event initiated by GCA and the Wellcome Trust will be framed through the support of research generated by the Lancet Countdown, encompassing analysis of the research results, data on the incorporation of health in adaptation finance, as well as a discussion of the identified gaps and opportunities.

Event description

Scaling the Integration of Health Research in Climate Negotiations
Health researchers have assembled a large body of evidence on the health benefits of climate action —and the overwhelmingly negative health consequences of inaction. Yet this knowledge needs to be translated into policy and programs, and the political momentum needs to be maintained. To avoid the devastating disruptions of climate change threatening global health and development gains, the international community needs to mobilize at scale and quickly. If meaningful, the prioritization of health in climate change negotiations at COP29 and beyond offers the opportunity to deliver health-promoting climate change actions and to re-position health and wellbeing as core pillars of adaptation, ensuring a safe and thriving future for all. 
 
In this spirit, the Wellcome Trust and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) are initiating an informal technical dinner for climate change negotiators to inform discussions on the integration of health into various aspects of global adaptation policy, which subsequently translates into the design and delivery of adaptation and resilience programs at the regional and local levels. Health-informed climate messaging and communication at the intersection of climate change and health can build support for ambitious climate targets and policies that protect and benefit both human and planetary health. 
 
Working Towards a Health-framed Climate Adaptation Approach
To pick up momentum, it is necessary to hold consultations at the global level, including at COP29, which convene stakeholders from across the health and adaptation ecosystems, creating the ideal opportunity to use health research to unlock climate action and drive bolder decisions. The event initiated by GCA and the Wellcome Trust will be framed through the support of research generated by the Lancet Countdown, encompassing analysis of the research results, data on the incorporation of health in adaptation finance, as well as a discussion of the identified gaps and opportunities. The aim is to provide a space for climate change negotiators to share views and knowledge on their lessons learned, gaps identified, and steps forward, supporting decision-makers and climate negotiators to enact policies on the basis of the discussion outcomes.  

The key questions below will guide the discussion 
with a focus on the thematic priority areas of health and climate adaptation: 

• Ensuring Commitment: What are the reasons behind health not featuring more prominently in climate negotiations, particularly in relation to climate adaptation? What measures will be needed to ensure health is integrated into climate responses in key sectors?  
• Maintaining momentum: How can the focus of governments, international organizations, and other key stakeholders on the interconnectedness between climate and health be maintained beyond high-level international events such as COP? 
• Adaptation financing: What are the key challenges to unlocking financing for health-focused climate adaptation and resilience-building, including both private and public sector financing? 
• Research implementation: What are the impediments to the timely and scaled implementation of health research outputs within the climate-adaptation actions and how can health research keep up with the speed of climate change?