COP28: Experts criticize health declaration at climate conference

Health experts have criticized a declaration adopted by a number of countries at the World Climate Conference as being too weak. “Fossil energies are not even mentioned, even though they are largely to blame for climate change and therefore also for the health impacts,” said expert Jess Beagley from the Climate and Global Health Alliance, a coalition of health organizations from around the world, in Dubai. Other experts also criticized the announcement.

The declaration issued by the host of the climate conference – the United Arab Emirates – which has been joined by more than 120 countries, aims to strengthen research and measures that prevent the health-endangering consequences of climate change – but the words “fossil energy sources” or “phase out of fossil fuels ” you search in vain in the text. Whether the climate conference in the oil state can agree on the global phase-out of coal, oil and gas is considered one of the most controversial points at the climate conference.

The World Health Organization and more than 40 doctors from all over the world called in Dubai to accelerate the phase-out of fossils. State governments should also implement the announcements they have made regarding climate protection.

The health experts warned of “dangerous distractions” such as CO2 storage or geoengineering, on which some countries are pinning their hopes in the fight against the climate crisis. In reality, however, these technologies are considered scientifically controversial, very expensive and difficult to scale on a large scale.

“The fact is that the climate crisis and the health crisis are one and the same,” said US special envoy John Kerry in Dubai. “They are completely connected.”