The World Health Organization (WHO) has today received accreditation by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) , a fund for climate finance that was established within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The accreditation will unlock new funding to protect communities worldwide from the health impacts of climate change.
"Climate and health action saves lives," said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of the department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration at WHO, "Climate financing will ensure that the health sector is prepared to meet the demands of the climate crisis without contributing further emissions to climate change."
This landmark decision is the result of extensive preparations including high-level exchanges between the Director General of WHO and the Executive Director of the GCF.
Placing climate action at the heart of public health
WHO has over 25 years of climate and health policy and technical leadership, and over 15 years of implementing climate and health programmes in over 30 countries. Extensive country presence and partnerships with ministries of health and governmental agencies position WHO as a vital partner in addressing global climate and health challenges. The combined strength of WHO and GCF will lead to direct climate and health programmes and the development of health-promoting interventions at the country level by leveraging a network of health ministries and key partners.
WHO will support projects by facilitating technical partnerships, providing implementation toolkits, coordinating peer reviews and monitoring processes to ensure quality and scalability. The WHO-hosted Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) , launched in 2022, will play a critical role, including identifying co-financing for any potential investments by GCF through its network of over 200 country and partner members.
There has been remarkable progress in global climate-health action since WHO's application to the GCF in 2015. Responding to climate change was made the priority objective in WHO's Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14) for 2025-2028. In 2024 a Resolution on Climate Change and Health was adopted at the Seventh-seventh World Health Assembly and health has become a consistent focus at recent UN Climate Change Conferences (COPs), which have included dedicated Health Days and the adoption of the Belém Health Action Plan at COP30 in Brazil.
"Climate financing is crucial to tackling the climate-health crisis," said Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of Climate Change, Air Quality, Energy and Health at WHO, "WHO will use this opportunity to ensure low- and middle-income countries have access to the resources needed to build climate-resilient and sustainable low-carbon health systems."
Linking climate realities with the health response
The impact of climate change on humanity is well established, with the recognition of health impacts of climate change growing in the international community. Health is identified as a priority in 91% of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), national climate action plans by each country under the Paris Agreement, but only a few NDCs specify actions to maximize health benefits from climate adaptation and/or mitigation.
According to estimates, just 2% of adaptation funding and only 0.5% of multilateral climate funding go to health, leaving the health sector with the greatest unmet demand. WHO aims to address these needs for climate finance support and empower national health ministries to develop climate-resilient health systems, reduce emissions and bolster climate-health action across sectors.
WHO's accreditation to the GCF catalyses a paradigm shift by embedding health resilience and health equity into climate finance, thereby transforming how climate adaptation and mitigation are designed, implemented, and evaluated. WHO's leadership in global health, combined with its operational capacity and normative authority, positions it to oversee and supervise impactful, multisectoral projects.
