Four ways to tackle health and climate together – and lift millions of people out of poverty

Our health is shaped long before we get to see a doctor. It is shaped by the health of our parents, the air we breathe, the homes we live in, the work we do, the food we can afford and the strength of our communities. For millions, these conditions are defined by poverty, inequality and pollution.

Climate change compounds these issues in unfair and unpredictable ways. The poorer a country, nation or community, the greater the risk of exposure to extreme weather, food and water insecurity, disease and forced displacement. Yet people in the least developed countries have contributed almost nothing to global heating.

Climate change affects health, shortens lives and makes daily life more difficult for millions of families around the world. But so often, these issues are tackled separately by different government departments and funders.

A new report from the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, a diverse collection of the world’s most influential and interdisciplinary climate experts, highlights the urgent need for health and climate action to be designed together and work in tandem.

While reviewing this report as a member of this group and writing the foreword, I was struck by four clear win-win areas for climate and health.