Session 6

Climate change and health inequalities

Protecting the health of the most vulnerable from climate threats

Organised by the European Climate and Health Observatory and the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

The climate crisis poses a global threat to human health. As the fastest warming continent, Europe has in recent years experienced the devastating human and economic impacts of this crisis with repeated and severe instances of heat waves, floods, and wildfires. Although climate change affects everyone’s health, it disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, due to factors such as age, gender, ethnic origin, occupation, and health or socio-economic status. Increasingly, severe climatic events are affecting an ageing population with an already high prevalence of chronic diseases, which is reliant on a strained healthcare system. This creates challenging conditions in which existing inequalities are exacerbated and vulnerable groups stand to lose the most. 

This session will explore how climate change amplifies individual and collective vulnerabilities and increases health-related pressures across different local communities and healthcare systems, in order to understand the course of action needed to reduce impacts in vulnerable groups. The panel will reflect on solutions and support tools that can reduce vulnerability, mitigate health impacts, build health resilience, and deliver climate justice. Join us in this exciting discussion on what can be done to help vulnerable groups in protecting their health against climate change and by extension make communities in Europe and beyond stronger, healthier, and more resilient.