As climate change intensifies, its impact on global health is becoming increasingly prominent. In July 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the climate observation data of July 2023 could “rewrite records in various indicators,” declaring that “the era of a boiling planet has arrived.” In fact, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has commented that the first three weeks of July were “the hottest three weeks in our records.” Such intensification of climate change, especially the record-high sea temperatures and decadal warming trends, is accelerating, forcing governments worldwide to respond comprehensively to climate change and health.

In this context, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced a new target in 2021, pledging a cumulative $100 billion from its own resources for climate change countermeasures from 2019 to 2030. Of this, $34 billion is allocated for adaptation to climate change and enhancing resilience, especially in the health sector. The ADB focuses on “enhancing the resilience of health systems to climate change and supporting the development of low-carbon health systems,” and plans to launch a “Climate and Health Initiative” in collaboration and momentum with the G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023, G20 New Delhi Summit, and the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Dubai.

The Japanese government, having declared “Carbon Neutral by 2050” in October 2020, compiled the “Global Health Strategy” in May 2022, identifying climate change and health as vital policy issues from foreign, economic, and security perspectives. Also, with Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrating 50 years of cooperative friendship, and especially as the Japanese government has been leading international discussions on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), there are heightened expectations for a comprehensive approach to a new dimension of “ASEAN Health Initiative” which has enhanced environmental considerations. Moreover, the “Pacific Island Summit (PALM)” is scheduled for 2024, focusing on the stability and prosperity of Pacific countries and regions heavily affected by climate change, along with the 8th International Conference on Health System Research in Nagasaki, sharing scientific and practical perspectives on health and medical systems and policies, promoting cooperation beyond regions and countries.

Through this symposium, we reaffirmed the role played by the Japanese Government at the G7 Hiroshima Summit and the UN General Assembly and discuss the roles and challenges that Japan should play in promoting close cooperation with diverse stakeholders and building sustainable and resilient health systems in the Asia-Pacific region in the future.

■ Planetary Health Expert Meeting “Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Building a New Collaborative Framework Focused on Climate Change and Health in the Asia-Pacific Region” (1:40:22)

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Thursday, November 2, 2023; 16:00-17:30 JST
• Format: In-Person (no virtual attendance available)
• Venue: Event Field, Grand Cube 3F, Otemachi Financial City, Global Business Hub Tokyo 1-9-2, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004 JAPAN
• Languages: Japanese and English, with simultaneous interpretation
• Participation fee: Free
• Co-Hosts: Asian Development Bank (ADB), Nagasaki University, and Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
• Support: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) Global Health Innovation Policy Program, Japan CSO Network on Global Health (The GII/IDI Network), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

[Program] (Title omitted, no specific order)

16:00-16:10	Opening and Purpose Explanation
	Takeshi Nagayasu (President, Nagasaki University) Ayako Inagaki (Senior Director, Human and Social Development Office, Sector Group, Asian Development Bank)
16:10-16:25	Keynote Speech 1: Changing Discussions and New Attempts Surrounding Climate and Health
	Patrick L. Osewe (Director for Health, Human Social Development Office, Sectors Group, Asian Development Bank) [Materials] Keynote Speech 1: Changing Discussions and New Attempts Surrounding Climate and Health (PDF)
16:25-16:40	Keynote Speech 2: The New Global Health Strategy’s Approach to Climate Change and Health Challenges and Prospects
	Naoki Ito (Ambassador for Global Health & Executive Director for Healthcare Policy, Cabinet Office/ Ambassador for Public Diplomacy, Global Health, and Mekong Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) [Materials] Keynote Speech 2: The New Global Health Strategy’s [Materials] Approach to Climate Change and Health Challenges and Prospects (PDF)
16:45-17:20	Panel Discussion: Multi-stakeholder Measures and Required International Cooperation for Climate Change and Health
	Panelists: Moeko Yoshitomi (Deputy Director, Office of Global Health Cooperation, International Affairs Division, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare/ Deputy Director, Water Supply Division, Public Health Bureau) Masaki Inaba (Co-Chair, Director on Global Health, Africa Japan Forum (AJF) / Chair, Japan CSO Network on Global Health) Haruka Sakamoto (Associate Professor, Department of International Affairs and Tropical Medicine, Tokyo Women’s Medical University) Hirotsugu Aiga (Professor, Graduate School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University) Emiko Nishimura (Manager, Global Health Team, Human Development Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency) Moderator: Akihito Watabe (Health Specialist, Human and Social Development Group, Asian Development Bank)
17:20-17:30	Closing Remarks
	Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Chairman, Health and Global Policy Institute) Ichiro Kamoshita (Adviser to the Cabinet (Health and Medical Strategy) / Former Minister of the Environment)