Calendar

As climate extremes intensify, it’s more important than ever for businesses to understand not only how extreme heat impacts employees, productivity, and cost—but also how the heat policy and preparedness landscape is evolving. Drawing on new research on state-level readiness and a landscape analysis of heat-related regulation across federal and state levels, this webinar will help business leaders—especially those in HR, Government Affairs, EHS, and Operations—understand the current state and resources to dig in further. The session will offer clear insights into how employers can engage on public health, anticipate developments, and take proactive steps to protect their workforce amid increasing climate-driven risks.

The first International Heat Adaptation School aims to engage students, stakeholders, and researchers from diverse disciplines around the world to better understand the complex nature of extreme heat and reduce its harmful effects on humans. The school will use experiential learning and active, interdisciplinary teaching techniques to encourage the creation of solutions inspired by real-world needs. The school is part of the Global  Centre for Heat Adaptation,  funded by the  National Science Foundation  (USA) and the  Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council  (Canada). The first-of-its-kind Global School on Heat Adaptation aims to engage students, stakeholders, and researchers from various disciplines globally involved in understanding and reducing the impacts of extreme heat. With climate change and health issues presenting as pressing challenges facing tomorrow's leaders, new models are needed to educate the future workforce. The school will use experiential learning and cross-disciplinary, active teaching techniques to foster the creation of more use-inspired, real-world solutions. The school is part of a National Science Foundation (USA) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada) funded Global Center for Heat Adaptation . The Center's vision is to strengthen society's ability to manage and adapt to extreme heat across countries, climates, and cultures and train the next generation of global researchers and practitioners using thoughtful and innovative approaches.

Extreme heat now poses the most immediate climate threat to American workers—affecting productivity, health, and business continuity. As climate extremes intensify, the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health is helping employers understand the rising costs and the case for proactive action. This webinar will feature new research from Elevance Health on how extreme heat drives healthcare utilization and cost increases across worker populations. Join us for a practical conversation that blends cutting-edge research, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies for HR and business leaders.

The 2025 Global Conference on Climate and Health will take place in Brasília, Brazil from 29 to 31 July 2025, hosted by the Government of Brazil, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Panamerican Health Organization (PAHO). This event will also serve as the annual in-person meeting of ATACH, providing a key platform to highlight the role of ambitious and equitable climate action in global health.

The 2025 NAM Annual Meeting brings together leaders in health, science, policy, and innovation to discuss critical issues at the intersection of climate and health. Hosted by the National Academy of Medicine, this year’s meeting focuses on forward-looking strategies to build climate-resilient health systems, promote health equity, and drive cross-sector collaboration. Participants will engage with experts, explore new research, and contribute to shaping future policy and action on urgent global health challenges. This event serves as a key platform for advancing dialogue and solutions in health transformation amid climate change.

Climate change is fraught with contradictions and inconsistencies, particularly in the institutionalization and dissemination of climate change knowledge, which the Global North predominantly controls. Meanwhile, the Global South bears the brunt of its impacts, with limited resources for mitigation and adaptation and negligible support from the developed nations. Although climate change is slowly beginning to affect and change societies in the Global North, its impacts are still predominantly felt in the global periphery. The challenge lies in approaching it as a global problem that interconnects regions while acknowledging the substantial inequalities in its socioeconomic reality and overall social impact, which follow a well-established global geopolitical order. Despite being much discussed within the social sciences, there is still a lack of systematic focus on the consequences of global (anthropogenic) climate change for the Global South, particularly for the region of southern Africa. These societies are especially vulnerable to ecological system transformations due to their more fragile infrastructure, higher poverty rates, and ecological conditions. They face disasters related to climate change more intensely and frequently than other regions. The Windhoek, Namibia 2025 conference focuses on the theme “Risk in Time and Space,” highlighting the variability of disaster risks over time and space as one of the most challenging elements. All types of risks, whether socio-natural, technological, or climate-induced, are dependent on time and space, regardless of their origin. The conference will bring together expert presentations by leading specialists in climate change, disaster risk reduction, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) will present cutting-edge trends and advancements in the field as well as:

• Renowned experts in climate change, disaster risk reduction, engaged research, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) will share insights on the latest trends and developments.
• Panel Discussions: Panels will feature diverse voices from academia, government, and community organizations to discuss specific challenges and opportunities in engaged research.
• Interactive Workshops: Participants will have opportunities to learn practical skills, tools, and methodologies for engaged research, GIS, policy brief writing, and access to the HSRC’s Data Repository through eResearch Knowledge Centre (eRKC).
• Case Study Showcases: Selected projects demonstrating significant climate change and disaster risk impact through engaged research will be presented.
• Networking Sessions: Facilitated networking sessions will allow participants to connect and explore potential collaborations

 

Keynote Speakers

Professor Ranjan Datta, Canada Research Chair in Community Disaster Research at the Indigenous Studies, Department of Humanities at Mount Royal University, Canada. Keynote speech title: Indigenous Knowledge in Disaster Risk Reduction and Prevention through Development Policies in African Regions. Dr Olivia Kunguma, Free State University (UFS)’s Disaster Management Training and Education Centre, South Africa. Keynote speech title: Alert and Warning in the Climate Change Era: Reconsidering a Risk Communication Consensus. Prof. Ioannis Pitas (IEEE fellow, IEEE Distinguished Lecturer, EURASIP fellow), a Professor at the Department of Informatics of AUTH, and a chair of the International AI Doctoral Academy (AIDA) https://www.i-aida.org/. Keynote speech title: AI and Big Data Analytics for Natural Hazards in Disaster Risk Management

This event, hosted by the Pathfinder Initiative at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), C40 Cities, Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA), and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) at the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB 62), will highlight the role of urban climate strategies in national climate plans, and opportunities across sectors to maximise climate and health benefits for cities and urban poor communities. Building on discussions at COP29 on bridging national and local climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, speakers will explore how cities can implement evidence-informed action for climate and health, support marginalised urban communities and just transitions, and evaluate impact to inform and inspire further action in cities worldwide. Speakers will present evidence on the health benefits of climate action across energy, transport, buildings, and food, as well as the potential for nature-based solutions to support climate mitigation and adaptation and create healthier urban environments. Looking ahead to COP30 and the World Mayors Summit later this year, speakers will make the case for systems change and the integration of health and equity into the design, implementation and evaluation of climate policies at all levels. Please be aware that all attendees will need a delegate pass for the Bonn conference via a UNFCCC accredited organisation to attend this event. Please note that this event will be held at 10:30-11:45 local time in Bonn (CEST). 

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists invite you to a briefing about how federal policies can bolster resilience to extreme heat at the state and community level. Communities are experiencing hotter, more frequent, and more prolonged periods of record-breaking heat. Not only does extreme heat have immediate public health ramifications (heat-related deaths have more than doubled since 1999), it also exacerbates drought and wildfire risk, harms crops and livestock, and strains energy systems. Together, these impacts cost the United States an estimated $162 billion in 2024. This briefing will highlight the Federation of American Scientists’ 2025 Heat Policy Agenda, which outlines policy considerations for Congress and the Administration to prevent infrastructure damage, economic impacts, and loss of life from heat. Speakers will describe opportunities to safeguard critical infrastructure such as our energy systems, improve productivity, and improve federal and subnational coordination on heat preparedness, management, and resilience. Speakers to be announced. This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to expedite check-in.

The Heat Emergencies: Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management CME Course is a virtual, lecture-based 4 half-day course to educate clinicians about how to diagnose, treat, and prevent heat-related illness. The course will describe the current evidence around all heat-related emergencies, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and heat syncope. The course will provide a background on the changing epidemiology of heat-related illness, varying definitions of heat, basics of thermal physiology, and individual and population-based approaches to prevention of heat-related illness.

Who Should Attend

• General Physicians
• Specialty Physicians
• Physician Assistants
• Nurse Practitioners
• Nurses
• Pharmacists
• Primary Care Physicians
• Other

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Explain the epidemiology of heat related illness and associated disease processes.
• Recognize the thermal physiology underlying clinical presentations of heat related illness.
• Create a differential diagnosis and develop comprehensive, evidence-based management plans for all forms of heat related illness, including heat exhaustion, heat syncope, and heat stroke.
• Describe groups at increased risk for heat related illness and develop anticipatory guidance and prevention plans.
• Discuss the pharmacological interactions with heat-related illness and develop plans for protecting patients.
• Identify the resources needed and best steps to take for preparedness, diagnosis and treatment of heat related illness during event medicine and in low-resources settings
• Explain the impacts of heat across organ systems, including impacts on mental health and behavioral health and kidney disease.
• Apply preventive solutions for heat related illness including from a community based, public health, and health systems approach.

The 62nd session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies (SB 62) will convene international delegates in discussions around climate change, governance, international negotiations, adaptation and mitigation. Parties to the Convention, United Nations and related organizations and agencies, media and non-profit organizations with observer status may register to attend the sessions of the Convention.

Climate change is affecting communities across the WHO European Region, with rising temperatures, extreme weather events and environmental degradation threatening health and well-being. To accelerate health and climate action, WHO/Europe is launching the first Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health in Reykjavík, Iceland, on 11 June 2025. Chaired by Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland, the Commission aims to raise political awareness and advocate for stronger action across multiple sectors and levels of government to address the health impacts of climate change. The event will bring together the Commissioners to:

• launch the Commission and introduce its goals and priorities
• initiate the work of the Commission with the first hearing of leading experts.

An inclusive process to define a “Call to action” on climate and health

Immediately starting work by holding the first of 3 hearings on 11 June, the Commission will review relevant evidence by consulting leading experts towards developing final recommendations. The second and third hearings will take place in September and October 2025, respectively. The Commission’s final recommendations for accelerated health and climate action will be presented during the World Health Assembly in May 2026.

Follow live

Follow the work of the Commission and listen in to the launch and first hearing of key experts. Register now.

The 2025 Global Conference on Health and Climate, to be held in Brasília from 29 to 31 July, will bring together stakeholders from across sectors to highlight how ambitious and just climate actions—especially at national, subnational, and local levels—can deliver major health co-benefits. The event supports the broader goals of COP30, which will be hosted by Brazil in November 2025, and aims to ensure that health and equity are positioned at the center of global climate negotiations. The Conference will result in the launch and consolidation of the Belém Health Action Plan, a strategic document outlining the role of the health sector in advancing climate resilience and equity. To support this objective, a central component of the Conference will be the Ideas Lab: an open and participatory space designed to showcase innovative initiatives, stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue, and promote solution-oriented discussions at the intersection of climate and health. The Ideas Lab is intended to foster contributions that inspire action, elevate underrepresented voices, and inform COP30’s Health Day and related deliverables. The Ideas Lab aims to create an interactive platform for sharing, discussing, and advancing innovative practices, research, and policy ideas that contribute to climate-resilient and equitable health systems. Sessions should encourage cross-sector dialogue and highlight concrete solutions that are adaptable to diverse territorial and institutional contexts. Specifically, the Ideas Lab will:

• Promote forward-looking and evidence-informed discussions on climate and health;
• Highlight innovative practices, including local and Indigenous knowledge, youth-led initiatives, and technological solutions;
• Foster dialogue among governments, civil society, academia, multilateral organizations, and private sector actors;
• Generate inputs that contribute to the implementation of the Belém Health Action Plan;
• Feed into the health discussions at COP30 and future national and global climate-health strategies.

Selection Criteria

The Ideas Lab will prioritize proposals and presenters that bring pragmatic approaches, innovation, and alignment with the goals of the Global Conference. While participation will be by invitation, the selection process will follow clear, merit-based criteria to ensure transparency, diversity, and impact. The selection of Ideas Lab sessions will be guided by the following criteria:

• Practical Relevance and Potential for Impact: Proposals should be grounded in real-world experiences or practices—ongoing or completed—and demonstrate potential to generate meaningful change in the climate-health nexus. We will welcome solutions informed by lived realities, adaptable models, and tested innovations.
• Regional and Institutional Diversity: Efforts will be made to ensure geographic balance and representation of diverse institutional actors—including voices from low- and middle-income countries, subnational governments, and underrepresented regions.
• Innovation and Transformative Potential: Sessions should introduce forward-looking solutions, emerging approaches, or replicable models that can support health system adaptation to climate change.
• Equity and Inclusion: Proposals that reflect gender equity, youth participation, Indigenous and traditional knowledge, or other forms of community leadership will be highly valued.
• Potential Contribution to COP30: Presentations that can directly inform the development of the health discussions for COP30 will receive particular attention.

The full Terms of Reference can be accessed here.

Submit your proposal before June 10 by filling out one of the online forms below.