The climate crisis is a health crisis – and the European Region is in the hot seat. A new WHO commission will offer pragmatic and cost-effective health sector solutions to address climate change
In response to escalating climate-driven health threats, including emergencies, WHO/Europe has launched the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health (PECCH), a bold new initiative to confront one of the defining health challenges of our time.
Chaired by ex-PM of Iceland
Chaired by former Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and supported by Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Sir Andrew Haines from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the PECCH brings together 11 commissioners from across the WHO European Region. They bring a rich diversity of experience at the helm of political and scientific, national and international institutions and organizations. Together they will deliver recommendations for actionable solutions at the intersection of health and climate.
Through its public and expert hearings, the PECCH will also actively engage with representatives from other regions to work together on shared solutions. Especially important will be the involvement of small and island Member States, which are often the first to bear the brunt of the climate crisis.
“It’s time to acknowledge an undeniable truth: the climate crisis is a health crisis. It’s already killing us, and without urgent action, it will get much worse,” says Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Health systems under pressure
“Our health systems are already under pressure, but they can also be part of the solution,” Dr Kluge adds. “That’s why I have convened the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health.
Led by former Icelandic Prime Minister Her Excellency Katrín Jakobsdóttir, this Commission will produce affordable and actionable health sector recommendations to address climate change in order to help improve health outcomes while lowering costs. From reducing waste to building energy-efficient facilities to saving lives through heat–health early warning systems, this Commission will explore a wide range of new and existing health sector solutions.”
Ground zero for climate–health impacts
The European Region is the fastest warming of all WHO regions. Nearly every climate-health indicator – from heat-related mortality to climate anxiety – is worsening.
One third of the world’s heat-related deaths already occur in the Region, and 4 of our warmest years on record have all occurred since 2020. One tenth of the urban population in the Region is currently living in flood-prone areas, and climate change is projected to result in more frequent and more intense heavy precipitation and sea-level rise – making floods 9 times more likely.
Icelandic see here.
