Climate Change Negotiations and Health
It is increasingly evident that environmental challenges have an impact on human health, reinforcing existing risks. For instance, it is estimated that climate change will cause around 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 – linked to issues ranging from malnutrition to heat stress, with direct costs to health expected to be between USD 2-4 billion/year by 20301. Also, the current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the important interlinkages between human health and the state of our environment and economies.
With the recognition that the equilibrium between people and planet is one of the fundamental issues of our time, this online course delves into the interlinkages between climate change and health, with particular reference to the international climate change policy process and the need for a healthy a green recovery from COVID-19.
Specifically, the course aims to support delegates attending the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and participating in climate diplomacy. It also provides valuable insights for the professionals involved in the development and implementation of national climate change and health policies.
What you will learn?
The ultimate objective of the course is to support participants in addressing health within climate change negotiations and national policy processes, as well as in considering climate change in health policies.
After completing the course, participants will be able to:
- Explain how climate change affects health;
- Recognize the international climate change policy framework;
- Identify the Parties and groups of Parties to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement, including their respective commitments and negotiation positions;
- Describe the outcomes of past negotiation sessions;
- Discuss the key issues in the ongoing international climate change negotiations, particularly in relation to the promotion of health priorities and the integration of health in all policies.
The Course at a Glance
The course features key information on climate change and its impacts on human health, provides an overview of the climate change negotiations so far, and considers entry points to address health issues and priorities within climate change negotiations and policies. It is divided into six lessons:
Lesson 1: Introduction to Health and Climate Change
Lesson 2: History of the UN Climate Negotiations
Lesson 3: The Paris Agreement
Lesson 4: From Paris to Glasgow
Lesson 5: Health in the UN Climate Change Negotiations
Lesson 6: Healthy and Green Recovery from COVID-19
Methodology
The course is self-paced and not moderated. It is adapted to the schedule of professionals in full-time work. Participants are provided with the opportunity to learn through various experiences: absorb (read); interact (activity); and reflect (relate to one’s own reality).
The course includes a series of self-standing interactive lessons with different activities, exercises, case studies, and videos. It also contains a wealth of links to other resources on health and climate change and is thus a gateway to more in-depth and specific information.
A quiz at the end of the course allows participants to assess the achievement of the learning objectives. A quiz is successfully passed at a score of 70% or higher, within three attempts. Once the certification criteria have been met, learners can download a certificate of completion from the “Certification” section of the course webpage.
After the completion, participants have the possibility to submit a feedback form accessible on the course webpage.
Who is this course for?
The course provides clear, concise, and up-to-date information for anybody interested in addressing the health risks arising from climate change. It should be of particular interest to the following audiences:
1) Health sector professionals participating in international climate change negotiations and in national climate change-related processes;
2) Environmental sector professionals participating in international and national climate change processes as well as climate change negotiators;
3) Other interested government officials and practitioners;
4) Academics and university students;
5) Other individuals interested in learning about the promotion of health priorities in the context of climate change and climate change negotiations.