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First-Ever COP28 Health Day Unfolds Amidst Uproar Over COP President's Fossil Fuel Remarks [1]
['Elaine Ruth Fletcher']
Date: 2023-12-03 18:58:27+01:00
The inaugural Health Day at COP28 on Sunday saw a strong push by some global leaders, led by US Climate Envoy John Kerry, for a swift transition away from the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. While about a dozen ministers of health among the 50 countries gathered for the day echoed Kerry’s call for a fossil fuel-free future, others remain hesitant.
The high-level Health Day, the first in 27 years of climate conferences, unfolded amidst an uproar over the revelation of remarks by COP President Sultan Al Jaber, who also serves as CEO of the United Arab Emirates national oil company Adnoc.
Al Jaber, whose dual role as COP28 President and oil barron is viewed by many observers as a serious conflict of interest, was quoted saying one week before the summit that there is “no science” behind the claim that phasing out fossil fuels is required to slow global warming, suggesting it could send society “back into caves.” He made the remarks in an exchange with former UN Special Climate Envoy Mary Robinson in an online event, reported Sunday Saturday by The Guardian.
At the opening of the Health Day plenary, United Arab Emirates Assistant Minister of Health Dr Maha Barakat delivered the opposite message, affirming the Gulf state’s commitment to combatting climate change.
“On this first-ever Health Day, we must call upon the world to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and keep 1.5°C within reach,” declared Barakat.
Wrong!
In 2012, the International Energy Agency wrote that 2/3 of proven fossil fuel reserves must not be burned
A study published in Nature in 2015 confirmed (v. 517)
Cop28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demand for phase-out of fossil fuels
https://t.co/oji8Uz6zyv — SREnvironment (@SREnvironment) December 3, 2023
In a lineup that included the heads of the World Health Organization, the International Energy Agency, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, and Brazil’s Minister of Health, it was US Special Climate Envoy John Kerry who issued the most powerful call for change at Health Day.
“If you poison our land, then you poison our water and you poison our air,” said Kerry. “The fact is that our bodies are ecosystems, the world is an ecosystem, and everything has an impact on everything.”
“It’s astonishing to me that it has taken as long as it has to have health as the centrepiece of the climate discussion because the reality is that it is killing people around the planet,” he added. “We should not measure progress on the climate crisis just by the degrees averted but by the lives saved.”
Tackle coal first of all says Kerry
Kerry criticized the world’s continued reliance on coal, citing its disproportionate impact on air pollution and health.
“Coal, in fact, doubles the number of deaths over the other sources of air-carrying pollution … we ought to be transitioning out of coal,” said Kerry. “There shouldn’t be any more coal-fired plants permitted anywhere in the world. That’s how you can do something for your health. And the reality here is that we are not doing it.” CO2 and methane emissions from coal combustion also are substantially higher than other fossil fuels.
“I do not understand how adults who are in a position of responsibility can be avoiding responsibility for taking away those things that are killing people on a daily basis,” said Kerry. “The reality is that a climate crisis and health crisis are one and the same, totally connected, totally converging at this moment in time.”
The US Climate Envoy’s impassioned appeal on coal carried sharp geopolitical undertones. Although the United States remains the world’s largest producer and consumer of oil and gas, it has been winding down coal production, which is no longer a vital part of its energy mix, and a 2040 target date for phasing it out altogether.
China, a leading US geopolitical rival, China remains heavily reliant and coal, accounting for 52.7% of global consumption. China also continues to expand coal production planning and building new coal plants both domestically and abroad despite pledging to reduce its use starting in 2026.
Health must remain a ‘permanent feature’ of the climate agenda
Despite the controversy surrounding the COP28 President, the Health Day plenary session saw a consensus among speakers on the urgent need to address the health impacts of climate change.
World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the recognition of the climate crisis as a health crisis as “long overdue”, highlighting that 27 COPs (Climate Conferences) have come and gone without a serious discussion of health.
“Undoubtedly health stands as the most compelling reason for taking climate action. The threats to health from climate change are immediate and present,” the UN health chief said. “For too long, health has been a footnote in climate discussions.”
That’s despite the fact that the evidence of health impacts are unequivocable, he said, noting that heat-related deaths among people over 65 have climbed by 75 percent over the past two decades.
“Every year, 7 million people die from air pollution. Changing weather patterns, driven by human activity and the burning of fossil fuels, is contributing to record numbers of cholera outbreaks,” he added. “And our warming planet is expanding the range of mosquitoes, which carry dangerous pathogens like dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever into places that have never dealt with them before.
“This is the first COP Health Day, but it must not be the last,” he concluded. “Health must be a permanent feature of the climate change agenda from now on.”
Non proliferation treaty support
Although Tedros’ Health Day remarks sidestepped the issue of fossil fuel phase out, per se, the WHO leader has spoken vigorously on the issue in the weeks leading up to the climate conference. At a high level COP28 event Saturday championing a “Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty” he compared impact of fossil fuel use and climate change to the impacts of tobacco use on cancer incidence, saying:
“Much like we cannot discuss lung cancer without acknowledging the impact of tobacco, it’s undeniable that over 75% … of greenhouse gas emissions stem from oil, gas and coal combined… which not only harm our planet but also pose a great threat to human health.
“Addressing climate change, necessitates addressing the role of fossil fuels,” he said at the event hosted by the small island Pacific nations of Tuvalu and Vanuatu, which face potential extinction from rising sea levels.
“When …oil, natural gas and coal combined contribute more than 75%, why can’t we name that major contributor? Without addressing this… achieving the 1.5°C limit is baloney. It will not happen.
“The objectives outlined in the proposed treaty are clear, evidenced-based and equitable,” he said. “A rapid phase-out of fossil fuels is imperative to save island nations, preserve the integrity of our planet and protect the health and well-being of all.”
Addressing the #ClimateCrisis necessitates addressing the role of fossil fuels, as much as we can’t discuss lung cancer without acknowledging the impact of tobacco. It’s undeniable.#ClimateAction #COP28 pic.twitter.com/GOhbrBnIKE — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 4, 2023
Gates dodges fossil fuel debate, urges adaptation to climate impacts
Also speaking at the Health Day event, Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist and one of the WHO’s largest donors steered entirely clear of the contentious issue of fossil fuel divestment, emphasizing instead the need for adaptation strategies to mitigate the health impacts of climate change.
Gates focused his address on the development and deployment of innovative technologies to counteract the detrimental effects of climate change, particularly in the agricultural sector. He advocated for enhancing food systems’ resilience against rising temperatures and drought to combat malnutrition, a major risk factor for childhood diseases.
Gates urged the global community to maintain its commitment to investing in combating poverty-related diseases like malaria alongside the ongoing climate crisis.
“Nobody would be better off in a world with fewer carbon emissions, where we are reducing our interventions to reduce illness, starvation and death,” he declared. “Even in the face of climate, investing in these health interventions, are not to be pushed to the side.”
COP presidency defends its record at the climate conference
During a press briefing on Saturday, COP officials defended the UAE Presidency’s accomplishments at the ongoing COP.
COP Director General Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi pointed to a new pledge signed by over 50 prominent fossil fuel companies to slash methane leaks and emissions from oil and gas operations by 90% by 2030.
Methane, a potent and short-lived climate pollutant, remains in the atmosphere for about a decade, significantly shorter than CO2’s lifespan of a century or more. Methan’s short life span means swift action on methane can provide a crucial window for the implementation of CO2 mitigation strategies to kick in.
Additionally, this COP has witnessed a pledge to triple investments in renewable energy infrastructure and double energy efficiencies by 2030, Al Suwaidi said. He further noted the operationalization and capitalization of the new loss and damage fund, along with substantial commitments to the Green Climate Fund by several countries.
“We took early and decisive action to fulfill our commitment to address loss and damage,” declared Suwaidi. “We have taken a significant step towards enhancing the availability, accessibility, and affordability of climate finance.”
The COP also played host to the Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum, where the announcement of the mobilization of $5 billion through diverse blended finance structures aimed at accelerating the climate transition was made.
“On negotiations, there is a sense of optimism and progress,” he added, acknowledging that civil society groups and leading countries are still awaiting the final outcome documents to determine if and how commitments to fossil fuel phaseout will be incorporated.
Financing remains a major barrier
Financial constraints continue to pose a major obstacle for heavily indebted low-income countries seeking to transition to renewable energy sources, emphasized Pakistan’s Minister of Health, Dr Nadeem Jan. He spoke at a side event following the plenary on “How Ambitious Emission Reductions Can Prevent Illness, Improve Human Health and Save Lives,” which also included Joy Phumaphi, former Botswana Minister of Health.
During the session, Phumaphi presented the findings of a recent Lancet Pathfinder Commission report, which concluded that rapid decarbonization of electricity systems could yield the most significant reductions in the health impacts of climate change, saving an estimated 5 million lives.
“We are solarizing health facilities and planning to convert from fossil fuels to renewable energy, but we are in this debt trap,” lamented Jan, saying that Pakistan’s already high level of indebtedness limits its ability to finance capital investments in clean energy.
“We contribute only 1% to the climate problem, but are bearing 78% of the burden, disproportionately suffering from climate impacts,” he added, referring to events like the recent catastrophic flooding seen in 2022. “We need debt relaxation in order to take this vision to concrete action…. We aren’t asking for compassion, we are asking for justice.”
Helen Clark to co-lead new commission on air quality policy and finance unveiled
The Clean Air Fund announced the establishment of a high-level Commission on international air quality policy and finance, to be led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan. Clark has been extremely active on global health issues since co-chairing the Independent Panel on Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response, which in 2021 issued a scathing report on the world’s response to COVID.
The Commission, co-founded with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, aims to “address the political barriers to implementing actions on air quality… and strengthen the economic case to secure additional financing conditions and track progress,” Jane Burston, CAF’s Executive Director, stated at the Health Day Plenary.
She also welcomed the introduction of a new set of UNFCCC “Climate and Health Finance” principles, designed to facilitate increased financing for renewable energy projects that simultaneously mitigate air pollution.
Image Credits: WHO , WHO.
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