The Race to Zero Climate & Health Dialogue on November 9th 2020 brought local to global actors together to place health and equity at the centre of ambitious climate action. Through a series of virtual events, hosted throughout a 24-hour period, the dialogue envisioned how a healthy, equitable recovery from COVID-19 can drive rapid decarbonization of the world economy.
The climate & health dialogue presented initiatives, case-studies and interventions for a healthy, climate-resilient and climate-just future across several priority areas of action: Adaptation & resilience; Nature; Energy transition; Zero carbon road transport; and Finance.
This virtual event took place on November 9, as part of the November Race to Zero Dialogues organized by UNFCCC in partnership with the High-Level Climate Champions. It helped pave the way to the 2021 Global Conference on Health and Climate Change and the COP26 UN climate change conference to be held in Glasgow, UK in November 2021.
The event was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with Race to Zero, the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA), the Wellcome Trust, Glasgow Caledonian University and its Centre for Climate Justice, the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, and the Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Session speakers included representatives from cities, regions, businesses and civil society from sectors such as health, biodiversity, transport, economy and energy, as well as scientists, policy makers, celebrities, local authorities and mayors, government representatives, representatives from vulnerable communities and youth leaders.
For any questions regarding this event, please contact the WHO climate team.
Programme - Climate & Health Dialogue
Keynote Opening
9.00 - 11.30 am GMT, November 9
Introduction to the Race To Zero Dialogues: The High-Level Champions, Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz and Mr. Nigel Topping, introduced and set out the objectives for the Dialogues, with the intervention of the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, COP 25 President Minister Ms. Carolina Schmidt, COP 26 President Minister Mr. Alok Sharma, Minister of the Environment of Italy Mr. Sergio Costa and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Ms. Patricia Espinosa.
09:30 – 10:30 am GMT: Systems Transformation Opener: The urgent need for action and the imperative of a systems approach to change. Organised by the Club of Rome and the Potsdam Institute.
10.30 – 11.30 am GMT: Keynote opening of the Climate & Health Dialogue: The necessary steps to achieve a healthy, equitable recovery from COVID-19 and drive a rapid decarbonisation of the world economy.
With the participation of H.E. Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji, Teresa Ribera, Minister for the Ecological Transition, Spain, Sergio Costa, Minister of the Environment, Italy, H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Hon. Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Chair of Climate Vulnerable Forum (TBC), Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO, Naoko Yamamoto, Assistant Director-General, Healthier Populations, WHO, Maria Neira, Director, Environment Climate Change and Health, WHO, Richard Smith, UKHACC, Francesco La Camera, Director General, IRENA, Simon Stevens, Chief Executive Officer, NHS England, Ian Hamilton, Executive Director, Lancet Countdown. With key announcements from leading health organisations.
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Race to clean energy: Youth set the agenda for a healthy recovery
12.00 - 13.30 pm GMT, November 9
Race to Zero dialogue on climate and health, which took a deep dive into the healthy energy solutions that we need in order to address inequalities exacerbated by the climate-health-energy nexus.
With the participation of Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy, Sajith Wijesuriya, Founder, Science Policy Circle, Helen Watts, Director of Innovation and Partnerships, Student Energy, James Irlam, Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA), Jordyn Burnouf, Co-Chair, Sevengen Indigenous Youth Energy Summit, Poorvaprabha Patil, President of the Medical Students Association of India, Asma Rouabhia, Program Manager, CODEV Governance, Alex Lenferna, Secretary of the Climate Justice Coalition, Maria Neira, Director, Environment, Climate Change and Health Department, World Health Organization, Beniamin Strzelecki, Global Focal Point, SDG7 Youth Constituency.
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Race to Zero Carbon Road Transport
18.00 - 19.30 pm GMT, November 9
Race to Zero dialogue on climate and health, that showcased how cities, businesses and governments can drive a just transition to clean and healthy modes of transport.
With the participation of Nigel Topping, High Level Champion for Climate Action, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, Executive Chairwoman, The Ella Roberta Foundation, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, Mayor of Freetown, Charlotte Marchandise, former Deputy Mayor of Rennes and President, WHO Healthy Cities French Network, Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, London, Heather Thompson, CEO of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), Audrey de Nazelle, Co-Deputy Director of the Centre of Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, Mark Watts, Executive Director, C40, and Gonzalo Muñoz, High Level Champion for Climate Action.
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Financing a healthy & resilient climate future
20.00 - 21.30 pm GMT, November 9
Race to Zero dialogue on climate and health, that outlined the changes needed for financial systems to drive a healthy recovery towards a climate-safe and economically stable future.
With the participation of Prof. Tahseen Jafry, Glasgow Caledonian University, Jeffrey Sachs, Chair of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission, Mithika Mwenda, Co-Founder Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, Barbara Buchner, Global Managing Director and Executive Director, Climate Policy Initiative, Ama Essel, Community Health Physician Specialist, Ania Grobicki, Deputy Director for Communications & Public Relations, Green Climate Fund, and Yasmine Moezinia, Head of COP26 Private Finance Team.
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Race for Nature and Health
22.00 - 23.30 pm GMT, November 9
Race to Zero dialogue on climate and health that shared the pathways for nature-based solutions (NBS) to raise climate ambition, strengthen health resilience, and contribute to a healthy, sustainable and just post COVID recovery.
With the participation of H.E. Andrea Meza Murillo, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica, H.E. Carolina Schmidt, Minister of the Environment, Republic of Chile, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Yolanda Terán Maigua, Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network from Latin America and the Caribbean, Alejandro Argumedo, Program Director, Asociación ANDES, Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International, Peter Daszak, President, Ecohealth Alliance, Carolina Urrutia, Secretary of the Environment, City of Bogotà, Kinari Webb, Founder, Health in Harmony, and Cristina Romanelli, Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO.
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Race for Health Resilience
02.00 - 03.30 am GMT, November 10
Race to Zero dialogue on climate and health, that examined how to achieve health adaptation and resilience for the most vulnerable countries and communities, with a specific emphasis on Small Island Developing States.
With the participation of Gonzalo Muñoz, COP26 High-Level Climate Action Champion, Saima Wazed Hossain, Thematic Ambassador on Vulnerability to the Climate Vulnerable Forum, Hon Vainetutai Rose Toki Brown, Honourable Minister Of Health, Cook Islands, Elhadj As Sy, Co-Chair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, Josh Karliner, International Director of Program and Strategy, Health Care Without Harm, Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Climate Change and Health Team Leader, WHO, Aletha Ward, School of Nursing and Midwifery lecturer, University of Southern Queensland, and Jeni Miller, Executive Director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, and others.
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Climate & Health Dialogue - Full Programme [PDF]