WHO, French govt hold second global confab on health, climate July 7

Seek implementation of Paris agreement

As part of efforts to mitigate the effect of climate change on health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Government of France, will on July 7 and 8, 2016 jointly host the second global conference on health and climate.

According to a statement by the WHO, the conference will showcase how the public health community will support the implementation of the Paris agreement to build healthier and more sustainable societies.

The Paris agreement, adopted on December 12, 2015, marks the beginning of a new era in the global response to climate change. The world now has a global climate agreement – that will have a major public health policy impact as countries take action.

The agreement, according to the WHO, not only sets ambitious aims to curb greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming well below 2°C, it also commits countries to strengthen adaptation. This includes implementing plans that should protect human health from the worst impacts of climate change, such as air pollution, heatwaves, floods and droughts, and the ongoing degradation of water resources and food security. It commits countries to finance clean and resilient futures in the most vulnerable countries.