While China and India’s last-minute refusal to commit to an end to fossil fuel at COP26 has caused depression and despair amongst many developing country delegates and climate activists, the mental health of millions is already severely affected by what climate disasters have done to their lives. Humidity and heatwaves are linked to increased suicides, […] Continue reading ->
As the Glasgow Climate Conference winds to a close, the final COP26 declaration appears destined to contain watered-down language on fossil fuel phase-out, and no clear way forward for the $100 billion in finance needed by low-income countries. Against that landscape, Médecins Sans Frontières Dr Maria Guevara talks about why health is the elephant in […] Continue reading ->
A draft agreement released by UN Climate on Wednesday “calls upon parties to accelerate the phasing out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels” – as countries work toward reaching consensus by the time the Glasgow Climate Conference (COP26) ends on Friday. The word ‘health’ also was noticeably absent from the draft text, reflecting the […] Continue reading ->
Former US President Barack Obama openly criticized two of the world’s largest CO2 emitting countries – Russia and China, for their “dangerous lack of urgency” in discussing the pressing matters of climate change this past week during COP26. Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to make an appearance with other […] Continue reading ->
Disha Shetty, an Indian climate and health journalist, will be reporting for Health Policy Watch from the Glasgow Climate Conference (COP 26).  She provides a birds-eye view on the conference here: Climate and health activists fear that the bold action needed at the crucial United Nations climate conference, COP26, which began on Sunday, is unlikely […] Continue reading ->
Most countries’ climate action plans refer to the health benefits of adaptation and mitigation strategies, such as reduced air pollution, but few actually track them. And as World Environment Day is observed Thursday, global climate commitments remain extraordinarily weak.  Only 21 countries out of the 195 parties to the UN Paris Agreement have submitted updated […] Continue reading ->