DUBAI (Reuters) – After two days of back-to-back speeches by world leaders, the COP28 climate summit turns its attention on Sunday to the reality of climate change fuelling more sickness and disease.
It will be the first time that the annual U.N. talks feature public health on the agenda.
With malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress all on the rise – and threatening to stretch already-struggling health services – countries and businesses both are anxious for more ways to protect people as temperatures continue to climb for decades.
The health-themed day will draw a cast of headliners, including Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who is expected to join the United Arab Emirates in launching a climate health initiative.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also visit the sprawling COP28 compound, where more than 70,000 people from across the world have gathered for the two-week conference.
Clinton was due to take part in an event on women and climate change.
COP28 will also see an appearance from former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their work to increase public knowledge about global warming.
On Saturday, current U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris sought to promote Washington’s global climate leadership, saying her country had once again become “a global leader in the fight against the climate crisis”.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Diane Craft)
