Finding opportunities among the challenges

As Azerbaijan prepares to host COP29, the country seeks to advance an inclusive and holistic approach to health, the challenges of which are intricately linked to climate change

The world stands at a pivotal moment. The effects of climate change are increasingly evident, manifesting themselves in extreme weather events, rising temperatures, frequent heatwaves and shifting ecological patterns.

These changes pose significant challenges to human health, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and threatening the very foundation of well-being for communities around the globe. From the spread of infectious diseases to the exacerbation of chronic conditions, from food insecurity to displacement and migration, the implications of a changing climate are far-reaching and multifaceted.

Yet, amid these challenges lie opportunities to innovate, to adapt and to build resilience. By using the power of collaboration, science and policy, we can chart a course towards a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

That is why Azerbaijan is committed to making health an integral part of the climate agenda at the meeting of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku in November 2024. Building on previous commitments, we will seek to enhance ambition and enable action in all aspects of climate efforts, including those related to health.

The five pillars of harmony

Hosting COP29 is a significant milestone for Azerbaijan. We are dedicated to further promoting global solidarity and unity in addressing the many challenges of climate change, including its impacts on health.
Learning from past efforts to build a more sustainable world, Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency has introduced ‘Five Pillars of Harmony’, reflected in the COP29 Action Agenda Presidency Initiatives. These are:

• harmony between climate agenda items – climate finance, mitigation and adaptation;
• harmony between climate ambitions and climate actions;
• harmony between core dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals – economic, environmental and social objectives;
• harmony between global initiatives, regional green partnerships and national climate action; and
• harmony between humanity (including human development, gender, youth and children) and nature.

We will also work to advance harmony between climate action and sustainable development. This focus on harmony guides our approach to making health an integral part of the climate agenda. The COP29 presidency is committed to building on the decisions and commitments made, and milestones achieved, regarding health at previous COPs. Our goal is to expand this focus through new inclusive platforms and a holistic approach, emphasising that human health must be treated alongside other issues in a multidisciplinary way. Just as Azerbaijan intends to build bridges between parties, we aim to find synergies between initiatives to support the urgent action needed to meet our climate goals.
a coalition for climate and health

The climate crisis is inherently a health crisis – one that requires a whole-of-society approach and collective action at the global level. To help move from commitment to action, the COP29 presidency will convene the multistakeholder and inclusive Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health.

This coalition will be initiated by the past, present and future COP presidencies that have prioritised health on the climate agenda in cooperation with the World Health Organization. It will welcome partnership with other state and non-state actors, including the relevant United Nations agencies, international institutions, multilateral development banks, international civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, philanthropists and academia. It aims to maintain the relevance and dynamism of the health dialogue within COPs by convening high-level meetings to discuss the nexus of climate and health.

The Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health will build on past work by serving as an umbrella platform to find synergies among existing initiatives working towards mitigating the health impacts of climate change. To this end, participating stakeholders will develop and align strategies and programmes to implement global commitments for building climate-resilient health systems and showcase best practices to generate practical recommendations in the field. The coalition will also seek to help mobilise climate and health finance to scale up action.

To meet our climate objectives, we need climate finance to be available, affordable and accessible. To this end, in addition to introducing new initiatives, the COP29 presidency is eager to encourage enabling existing financial pledges and investment platforms. In this line, I would also like to highlight the importance of the Health Impact Investment Platform, which can play an important role in improving health outcomes in low and low-middle income countries via concessional finance.

An inclusive and holistic approach

The COP29 presidency is committed to advancing a whole-of-society approach to health and climate change. The Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health will engage all relevant parties and constituencies to ensure that every voice is heard and no concern is overlooked. We believe that real progress can only be achieved through an inclusive COP, a holistic approach and a special focus on the needs and voices of the most vulnerable populations.

The COP29 presidency–led initiative on the ‘Baku Initiative on Human Development for Climate Resilience’ will tackle intersectoral synergies between education, human health and green jobs/just transition issues with its key elements: education, human health, green jobs and just transition, and youth and children. The concrete and measurable potential of climate commitments to protect the lives, health and well-being of the global population can be a powerful benchmark of progress and would motivate further actions.

We also wish to help mobilise support for integrating One Health principles into global climate and health initiatives and national policies in order to mitigate the health impacts of climate change. The One Health approach extends beyond merely preventing health crises. It is intricately linked to a holistic vision of health and well-being, emphasising the connections among human health, environmental quality, climate, food security and biodiversity. We believe such inclusive and holistic approaches can be an effective remedy to the rising health impacts of the global climate crises.

Past COPs have made important progress on the issue of health. We must build on this momentum to ensure that health becomes an integral part of the climate diplomacy process and find ways to enable action on our shared climate goals.