The World Health Organization (WHO) today publishes its advocacy, communications and partnerships plan "WHO at the heart of the health response to climate change, air pollution and energy poverty (2025–2028), translating the mandate set by Member States at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly into a coordinated programme of action to position health at the center of global climate, clean air and energy agendas.
In May 2025, Member States adopted the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Climate Change and Health (2025–2028) , in response to resolution WHA77.14. The new advocacy, communications and partnerships plan operationalises that mandate, ensuring the political commitments made by Member States are matched by practical strategies to build momentum, unite stakeholders and deliver lasting health and climate benefits.
The case for action is well established. More than seven million people die each year from air pollution and health systems contribute close to five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, only around 0.5 percent of multilateral climate finance is allocated to projects that explicitly aim to protect or improve human health. While the need for action is undoubtedly clear, and member states have a climate and health mandate, closing the gap to ensure climate action that saves lives now requires strategic partnerships, evidence-based communication, and advocacy support. The plan aims to bridge this gap.
For Member States, the plan provides practical support: ready-to-use messaging on the health case for climate action, technical guidance for negotiators in UN and other processes, and a coordinated voice across the UN system. It offers tools to integrate health into Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans, and routes into climate finance mechanisms including the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund.
For the wider community, the plan facilitates linking health workers, civil society, researchers, city leaders, financial actors and others towards a shared story and set of asks.
The plan is structured around four strategic areas:
- Consolidating WHO's role as a global leader in climate change, air quality, energy and health, including through the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) , the WHO-WMO Joint Office for Climate and Health , and guidance on integrating health into Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans;
- Building awareness and advocacy across the climate, energy and health sector, anchored by the new WHO–WMO Climate Communications Hub and flagship initiatives such as Beat the Heat ;
- Expanding multi-sectoral engagement with finance, energy, urban planning, security humanitarian actors, and others;
- Strengthening health sector climate-resilience and sustainability, with a WHO Secretariat roadmap to net-zero by 2030 and continued support to Member States implementing the Operational Framework for Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Health Systems.
"We now have highly effective solutions to the climate crisis, that save lives and money - and clear evidence that when people are informed about this, it motivates change", said Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of Climate Change, Energy, and Air Quality Unit at WHO Headquaters. "This strategy is all about getting accurate information to where it will be most effective."
"Member States have set the mandate—this plan helps turn it into action," said Estelle Willie, Director, Health Policy & Communications, The Rockefeller Foundation. "WHO will bring countries and a broad coalition of partners together to implement a shared agenda—putting health at the center of climate, clean air, and energy decisions, and translating commitments into results for people."
"Extreme weather and its impacts are putting growing strain on health systems worldwide. Yet, climate and health often remain isolated from broader policy and financing decisions," said Dr Vaness Kerry, WHO special envoy for climate change and health, CEO, Seed Global Health. "By recognizing that health is shaped by the way people live, work and move - from energy and housing to food systems and transport - this strategy will help align health across sectors, build resilience and protect communities now and in the future."
Delivery depends on a wide ecosystem of partners. WHO will continue to support countries through ATACH, the WHO-WMO joint office, and work across the UN system, alongside ongoing engagement with multilateral climate and finance mechanisms, research initiatives such as the Lancet Countdown , and civil society through the WHO Civil Society Working Group and the Global Climate and Health Alliance , alongside city networks, health professional associations, academic institutions, and others.
WHO calls on Member States, partners and the wider health community to engage with the plan, contribute to its implementation, and join in elevating health within climate, clean air and energy decision-making over the next four years. By acting together, the global community can ensure that the commitments made at WHA78 translate into measurable benefits for people, health systems and the planet.
