Health Care Without Harm global network at COP28

The Health Care Without Harm's delegation at COP28 is its largest and most diverse ever, with 12 members from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, South East Asia, the UK, and the United States.

• Laetania Belai Djandam, Climate Officer, Health Care Without Harm.

The Climate Impact Checkup is a revolutionary tool designed to empower health care institutions worldwide in assessing their environmental impact by estimating their greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. Since its launch two years ago, this groundbreaking calculator has gained traction, with over 500 healthcare facilities spanning more than 25 countries actively embracing it to monitor and transparently report their GHG emissions closely.

By Andrea Hurtado Epstein 

In conversation with Shweta Narayan from Health Care Without Harm, we discuss health systems’ environmental footprint and what can be done to prevent and mitigate the next crisis to come. 

Health Care Without Harm works to transform health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability, and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.

Read the interview 

The climate and nature crisis presents severe challenges to the operations of global health systems. Pollution, biodiversity loss, and burning fossil fuels create public health emergencies at scale and disrupt health systems. Digital health may have a role in the management of such challenges and in greenhouse gas emission reduction. However, this management and reduction can only be effective if there is buy-in at the national level. How can the international health community use technology to influence governments, not just to decarbonize the health sector, but all of society?

Together with our partners around the world, Health Care Without Harm convened representatives from 98 health care organizations spanning 20 countries to share their learnings from implementing decarbonization and climate resilience initiatives.

In a new article published on Medium, Patrick Osewe, Director of Health, Human and Social Development Division, Asian Development Bank, and Josh Karliner, Director of Global Partnerships, Health Care Without Harm, analyze the global impact of the G20 health ministers’ new, groundbreaking commitment to health care resilience and decarbonization.

This campaign and advocacy document is a resource for health care professionals who want to harness their expertise and credibility as trusted voices to drive local, national, and global climate policy changes.

“Reclaiming health activism in the age of climate crisis” is a compelling campaign guide that draws inspiration from the rich history of health activism in effecting social change. This document aims to rally health professionals worldwide to take on a new challenge: Advocating for climate action.

The health care sector contributes roughly 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with G20 countries accounting for over 75 percent. Urgent decarbonization is critical, and while the trajectory and approach may differ among G20 nations, all countries must work towards achieving net-zero health care emissions by 2050. 

What is Just Transition? The lack of a universal consensus around the definition has led to multiple interpretations shaped by the interests of different stakeholders. While labor movements prioritize workers' rights and job security, environmental justice groups advocate for impacted communities. Multilateral institutions, investors, and transnational corporations view it through an economic lens. 

On June 13-15, Gavi's Global Vaccine Impact Conference convened leaders from over 20 countries in Madrid under the theme “Raising Generation Immunity”, to assess progress in routine immunization and life-saving vaccinations. Hosted by the Government of Spain, this event gathered world leaders and immunization experts to address challenges and explore opportunities. Health Care Without Harm’s International Climate and Health Campaigner, Shweta Narayan was one of the keynote speakers.