Global health and medical organisations have issued an open letter calling on world leaders at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to rapidly phase out fossil fuels.
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| People search for water at the bottom of Puraquequara Lake in Amazonas state, Brazil on October 6, 2023. (Source: AFP) |
The above information was announced by the Minister of Industry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber on November 11.
The open letters also highlight how extreme weather events caused by climate change are leading to serious health problems around the world.
The signatories include the World Medical Association and the International Paediatric Association, which together have a membership of around 46.3 million people. The letter also stresses that the upcoming COP28 meeting must address the root cause of the climate crisis: the continued use of fossil fuels.
In addition to climate-related human health impacts, the letter points out that air pollution caused in part by burning fossil fuels causes 7 million premature deaths each year and that governments can reduce the burden of diseases such as cancer, heart and neurological diseases, and many others by improving air quality.
World health leaders also criticized the fossil fuel industry for blocking climate action at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations, stressing that the industry needs to end its decades-long campaign.
The open letter also argues that keeping global temperature increases within the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement on climate change is essential to ensuring good health and economic prosperity for all.
The COP28 conference will take place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, UAE. This conference is expected to see the participation of Pope Francis for the first time, the first pope to attend the UN climate summit.
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