Context:

• 123 countries signed a new declaration on climate and health to recognize the link between climate change and public health. This first step at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change can strengthen and accelerate mitigation and adaptation around the world.

Important  Facts:

• The COP28 Presidency (UAE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly released the 'COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health'. Its signatories aim to accelerate action to protect public health and communities from negative and increasing climate impacts and strengthen health care systems to cope with the impacts of extreme heat, air pollution, infectious and zoonotic diseases and environmental risk factors.
• India has refused to sign the COP28 declaration on climate and health. India attributed this to the lack of practicality in curbing the use of greenhouse gases for cooling in the health sector.
• The initiative process is supported by a group of 'Champion Countries' which include India, Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Egypt, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Fiji and others.
• The declaration states that - the devastating health impacts are already evident with approximately nine million annual deaths from air pollution and 189 million people exposed annually to extreme weather events. This therefore indicates that health protection must become central to climate action.
• This new declaration calls for policy interventions to build more climate-resilient health systems, cross-sectoral collaboration to reduce emissions, maximize the health benefits of climate action, and increase finance for climate and health solutions.
• Signatories also agreed to include health goals in their national climate plans and improve international cooperation to address the health risks of climate change and to monitor progress at all global fora, including future COPs and health ministerials.
• An important aspect of this initiative is the effort made to obtain commitments on finance.
• The focus on health action is expected to reduce emissions, accelerate the energy decarbonization process, reduce waste in the health sector, and promote better integration of health considerations into climate policies.
• Efforts to integrate climate action with health security began as early as 2016.

 What is 'COP'?

• The United Nations Climate Conferences are large annual gatherings of government levels focused on climate action. These are also called COP – i.e. Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• The UNFCCC Convention came into force on 21 March 1994 to prevent "dangerous" human interference with the climate system.
• Currently ratified by 198 countries, its membership is almost universal.
• The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, is an expanded version of this convention.
• Paris Climate Agreement at COP21 in 2015: Limiting the global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

COP28

• Will bring about a paradigm shift where countries agree not only on ‘what’ strong climate actions should be taken, but also on ‘how’ to implement them.
• Measuring progress towards achieving the Paris goals on climate finance and adopting existing plans is a key dimension of the problem, and that is why COP28 is of such great importance, the first global stocktake was launched at COP26 in Glasgow, Which will end in Dubai.

Climate Action Goals

• Limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2010 levels.
• Achieving global net zero emissions by 2050
• Increase investment in adaptation and resilience to climate disruption

United Arab Emirates

• President: Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: UAE Dirham