Climate negotiations: time to implement planetary health promises

COP27: The Prospects and Challenges for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

“…This will require multi-sectoral collaboration among health, agriculture, water, energy, transportation, and urban planning sectors, as highlighted by WHO’s Health in All Policies concept. 22 Globally, the new pandemic instrument currently being negotiated by WHO members states also provides a major opportunity to create binding international obligations for health system capacities, as well as focusing on climate change and the right to health.…”

“… 20 However, the current 0.3% of the global adaptation budget to support health systems and the COP26 commitment to double the adaptation budget are far below the resource needed. 22 , 24 In addition, there are legal, financial, and technological limitations for the production and use of renewable energy and the knowledge gap in the use of renewable energy, all of which hinder implementation. 25 - 27 Worse still, the Glasgow Climate Agreement failed to resolve the challenge of industrialized countries’ resistance to honor their commitment to provide $100 billion in annual financing for climate actions in less developed nations.…”

“…30 Most alarmingly, the report observed that there is no credible path to avoiding ever worsening outcomes unless the world makes dramatic changes. Following failures to meet the expectations of environmental activists and heads of states who are affected by global warming in the previous meetings, COP27 might be “the world’s last chance to prevent the worst effects of climate change.” 22 It is crucial to design and accelerate implementation of the adaptation and mitigation measures in MENA to the best current and future match of the specific climate challenges of the region. It is expected that less-industrialized countries will pursue compensation for damages of climate change at the COP27 in November 2022 in Egypt.…”

“…COP27 needs to be taken as an opportunity to increase health sector’s contribution in the nationally determined contributions for 2022. 22 This will help the MENA’s oil and gas exporting countries to diversify their economies while still promoting economic growth and prosperity and reducing the waste and increase efficient use of natural resources. The latter may require a major paradigm shift and creating a macro-political and legal framework across many MENA countries to change the environmental protection procedures and issues related to climate change, targeting both the reduction of GHG emissions as well as the citizens’ vulnerability.…”

“…21 Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland. 22 Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 23 Research Centre for Modelling in Health, Institute for Future Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.…”