Health and climate action: Policy brief

This policy brief addresses how climate change is threatening the overall progress made in reducing the global burden of diseases and injuries. Climate change has a serious impact on human lives and health. It threatens the basic elements we all need for good health and will undermine decades of progress in global health. In this paper, several pathways by which climate change can affect health are outlined in a number of conceptual frameworks. These health effects range from loss of well-being and productivity to disease and death. European populations will not be spared - climate change and its impacts recognize no borders.

The policy briefs calls for urgent action to halt climate change and deal with its impacts as this is integral to the successful implementation of the SDGs. It defines the following priorities for action:

• Advancing governance and leadership for health and well-being;

• Preventing disease and addressing health determinants;

• Establishing healthy places, settings and resilient communities;

• Strengthening health systems for universal health coverage.