Friends of Climate and Health

The Group meets regularly—including on the sidelines of the UN climate negotiations—and serves as a platform for countries to discuss opportunities to integrate health into United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes and advance global action on climate and health. The group is co-chaired by the Republic of Palau and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with approximately 25 countries actively engaged with the initiative.

The group formed in 2024, following growing political momentum to increase action on climate and health, including

• the first-ever Health Day at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in December 2023 
• the endorsement of the COP 28 declaration on climate and health by more than 150 countries
• the adoption of a resolution on climate change and health at the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024.

The Friends of Climate and Health regularly convenes climate negotiators and health experts at events including COPs and UNFCCC intersessional meetings. The group also engages with UN agencies, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders.

The Friends of Climate and Health aims to

• build a community of countries that are actively engaged in advancing global action on climate and health;
• foster the development of a common understanding among UNFCCC delegations of the role of health and well-being in the UN climate negotiations; and
• serve as a platform for countries to informally discuss opportunities to integrate health into UNFCCC processes and advance action toward those opportunities.

All countries are welcome to join the Friends and participate in its activities at UNFCCC meetings and throughout the year. Please reach out to the Secretariat for more information at ClimateHealth@iisd.org

Why Climate and Health?

The negative impacts of climate change on human health and well-being are already being felt worldwide. The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report reflects a growing body of evidence of the close connections between climate change and human health. At the same time, the World Health Organization has called climate change the largest threat to human health in the 21st century. At the same time, meaningful climate action has the potential to bring tremendous benefits for health and well-being.

The UNFCCC does not contain dedicated health provisions or processes, yet multiple entry points in the UN climate negotiations exist that could be informed and strengthened by health considerations—including on mitigation, just transition, adaptation, means of implementation, addressing loss and damage, issues related to agriculture and food security, and others.

Promoting human health and well-being in the global climate change agenda can help improve policies and decisions to protect both people and the planet and maximize climate, health and development outcomes. The Friends of Climate and Health offers a platform for dialogue and technical expertise that can foster countries’ meaningful engagement on these issues.

Meet the Secretariat

Friends of Climate and Health is a country-led initiative. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) serves as the Friends Secretariat. The Secretariat is run by a small but diverse team with deep knowledge of climate policy, multilateral environmental negotiations and the UNFCCC.

The Secretariat provides technical support and advice to countries on the nexus of climate change and health. It also organizes meetings, briefings and networking opportunities and provides a platform for countries to discuss opportunities to integrate health into UNFCCC processes and advance global action on climate and health.

Arthur Wyns is the Secretariat Lead for Friends of Climate and Health. He is a research fellow at the University of Melbourne and was the senior climate and health advisor to the COP 28 presidency. Arthur was a climate change advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) from 2019 to 2023 where he represented WHO at the UN climate negotiations, authored several UN reports on climate change and health, and acted as WHO's speechwriter on climate change. He is an editor of the Journal of Climate and Health.

 Naomi Beyeler is a strategic advisor for Friends of Climate and Health. She is a global public health professional with over 10 years of experience leading programs on climate change and health, health systems, and finance. She has previously served as the Director of the Climate Change and Health Initiative at the University of California San Francisco Institute for Global Health Sciences and as a health advisor to the COP28 presidency. She is currently an independent climate and health consultant supporting international and civil society organizations. 

Natalie Mangondo is a policy advisor for Friends of Climate and Health. She is an accomplished climate finance and carbon markets expert and has supported the African Group of Negotiators and the government of Zimbabwe in the UN climate negotiations since 2021. Natalie’s expertise spans Africa, working with key stakeholders to advance equitable climate solutions for vulnerable populations, especially women, youth, and marginalized groups.

Maria Margarita Gutiérrez is a policy advisor for Friends of Climate and Health. She is an environmental policy expert from Colombia with two decades of experience implementing climate change projects across Latin America. She is passionate about generating economic and social benefits through nature conservation and climate change solutions and has previously supported the Colombian delegation to the UN climate negotiations.