Climate Change, Physiology, and COP29

Physiology, Climate Change, and Health

Physiology is an essential part of the health response to climate change as it helps us understand the consequences of extreme temperatures and other consequences of the climate emergency on the human body. As the science of how the body works, physiology explains the impact of climate change on our health and productivity, and therefore, the very future of our species.

The Physiological Society is committed to highlighting the key role of physiological research in delivering climate change mitigation and adaptation goals. From furthering our understanding of adaptation to heat and extreme weather, to maximizing human health while reducing food, agricultural and vehicle emissions, physiological research is key to the fight against climate change.

Since 2021, The Society has been leading efforts to address the health impacts of climate change by holding roundtables with global experts and producing key reports aimed at understanding the pathways linking extreme temperatures and climate change and physical and mental health.

Climate Change and COP29

The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), is taking place in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. As global temperatures and extreme weather events hit record highs and affect millions of people, it is vital that leaders from governments around the world, business, and civil society to advance concrete solutions to tackle the climate crisis.

A key focus of COP29 will be on finance. World over, trillions of dollars are required to cut greenhouse gas emissions and protect people from the devastating consequences of climate change. In particular, COP29 will focus on enabling dramatic cuts in fossil fuels, rapid transition to renewable energy, and wealthy countries providing much greater support to vulnerable countries.

Health at COP29

Every year at the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust and the health community host the Health Pavillion at COP. The Health Pavillion convenes key stakeholders across the global health community to ensure that health and equity are placed at the centre of climate negotiations.

This year, the Pavillion will cover the following topics, among others, to showcase initiatives and solutions to maximise the health benefits of tackling climate change:

• Heat resilience
• Decarbonisation and mitigation
• Healthy workforces
• Nutrition

Key Recommendations for COP29:

• Prioritisation of health, including mental health and heat resilience, in global climate agreements.
• Build a global research and policy ecosystem through cross-disciplinary and cross-governmental collaboration.
• Enhance global early warning systems and develop actionable response plans for vulnerable groups including workers during extreme weather events.
• Increase local public awareness on the risks of climate change to health and effective mitigation techniques they can adopt.