Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) officially joined the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA). The Alliance was launched following the inaugural of the first Climate and Health Summit, which took place in 2011 during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health, and Wellbeing was drafted ahead of COP18, and the Declaration has been adopted as the principle underpinning the GCHA’s work. When applying to join the GCHA, organizations declare their support for the principles articulated in the Declaration.

The impact of climate change on health is one of the most significant measures of harm associated with global warming. The Doha Declaration, therefore, emphasizes that protecting health is one of the most important motivations for climate action and calls for the protection and promotion of health to be made one of the central priorities of global and national policy responses to climate change.

HGPI’s Planetary Health Project has actively endorsed GCHA initiatives since its inception. In 2022, HGPI signed the “Healthy Climate Prescription” and “COP27 Health Community Policy Recommendations,” and in 2023, HGPI signed on to the “Global Health and Medical Community Unite To Demand End Fossil Fuel Dependency at COP28” ahead of COP28.

Every year on March 23, World Meteorological Day is celebrated globally to enhance understanding and interest in meteorology. The theme for 2024 is ” At the frontline of climate action,” highlighting activities focused on addressing climate change. At this juncture, HGPI becoming an official member of the GCHA allows us to participate more actively in initiatives, collaborate with the international community, and incorporate health and climate change discussions into Japanese policy-making. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to share Japan’s lessons and best practices with the world.

■ About Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA)

GCHA is a consortium of global health and development-related organizations, with their members united with the shared vision of a world in which the health impacts of climate change are kept to a minimum, and the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation are maximized. GCHA works to ensure that health communities’ voices are heard in climate change policymaking.