In November 2025, global leaders, scientists, and advocates will gather in Belém, Brazil for COP30—the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference. This year’s summit marks a decade since the Paris Agreement and arrives at a critical moment for climate action.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 - 14:16
By Nazia Ahmed (she/her), Senior Evaluation Specialist, Faculty of Medicine and UBC COP30 Delegate

 

As a delegate representing the Faculty of Medicine, I am honored to join this global conversation with a focus on an often-overlooked dimension of climate change: its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities—including Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC)—who contribute least to global emissions yet face the greatest health risks. These impacts are intensified by systemic inequities in access to healthcare, housing, and climate resilience.

Why Health Belongs at the Center of Climate Action

Climate change is not just an environmental issue—it is a public health emergency. Health impacts of climate change are widespread, inequitable, and intensifying. Globally, health costs from climate change are estimated to reach US$2-4 billion per year by 2030, excluding costs in sectors like agriculture and water (World Health Organization WHO, 2023).

  • Climate change disproportionately endangers vulnerable populations: Over 3.6 billion people live in areas highly susceptible to climate change, with low-income countries and small island developing states enduring the harshest health impacts. In vulnerable regions, the death rate from extreme weather events is 15 times higher than in less vulnerable ones (WHO, 2023).
  • Heat and air pollution are increasing health risks: Between 2000–2004 and 2017–2021, heat-related deaths among people over 65 rose by 85%, with nearly 489,000 annual deaths globally linked to heat exposure (WHO, 2024). In Canada, extreme heat events are driving up emergency visits and hospitalizations. Additionally, wildfire smoke—laden with fine PM2.5 particles—is worsening asthma and cardiovascular conditions.
  • Climate change is intensifying infectious disease risks: Warming temperatures and extreme weather events are altering mutation patterns and transmission of food-borne and vector-borne pathogens. Research shows that climate change worsens over 58% of known human diseases—including those caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi—by amplifying transmission and environmental exposure (Nature Climate Change, 2022).
  • Climate change is increasing the spread of vector-borne diseases: Warmer temperatures and altered rainfall patterns are expanding the habitats of mosquitoes and ticks, increasing the transmission of illnesses like dengue, malaria, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus. By 2080, shifting malaria zones could put over 75 million additional people in Eastern and Southern Africa at risk of endemic infection (Ryan et al., 2023).
  • Climate Change is increasing psychological strain among adolescents: A 2022 global survey published in The Lancet Planetary Health found that 59% of young people across 10 countries were very or extremely worried about climate change (Hickman et al. 2021). Climate anxiety affects over a third of Canadian youth, contributing to mental health strain (Galway & Field, 2023).
  • Healthcare is contributing to up to 5% of global climate emissions: As climate impacts intensify, the growing burden on healthcare systems risks driving up their already significant global carbon emissions. It is projected to cause an additional 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050 (WHO, 2021). That is why investing in climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems is not only urgent, but also one of the smartest and most achievable actions we can take. It protects lives, reduces emissions, and strengthens communities for the challenges ahead.

At COP30, health will take center stage with the launch of the Belém Health Action Plan, a global roadmap for building climate-resilient health systems.

Why This Matters to UBC—and You

Whether you're a student, staff member, faculty, or part of the wider community, climate-related health risks are already shaping our lives. At UBC, we’ve seen firsthand how climate change affects our air quality, mental health, and access to safe spaces. Our researchers are leading studies on wildfire smoke exposure, urban heat islands, and climate resilience in healthcare systems.

The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that climate-related health impacts could cost Canada’s healthcare system billions of dollars, with broader economic losses in the tens of billions over coming decades. As a climate advocate, I believe that interdisciplinary collaboration—across medicine, engineering, policy, and the arts—is essential to crafting solutions that protect both people and the planet.

What to Watch for at COP30

Join the Conversation

In the lead-up to COP30, I invite you to reflect on how climate change affects your health, your work, and your community. Follow updates from the conference, explore Climate Emergency Week at UBC and UBC Planetary Health, and consider how your field can contribute to climate resilience.

Together, we can ensure that health is not just part of climate conversation, it’s at the heart of it.

 

Nazia Ahmed

Nazia Ahmed (she/her), Senior Evaluation Specialist, Faculty of Medicine

Nazia Ahmed is an experienced professional specializing in climate change, sustainability, and impact evaluation. With over a decade of experience, she has worked with leading institutions including the University of British Columbia, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the World Bank. Her work has focused on developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks for climate-related initiatives, strengthening community resilience through early warning systems, infrastructure upgrades, and capacity-building efforts. 

As a member of the COP 30 delegation, Nazia brings a unique perspective shaped by her experience in both developed and developing countries. She is committed to contributing impartially and strategically to global climate discussions, highlighting stories of change and evidence-based solutions that drive meaningful impact. 

References

  1. Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: A global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863–e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3

  2. Nature Climate Change. (2022). Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change. Nature Climate Change, 12, 869–875. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01426-1

  3. Ryan, S. J., Carlson, C. J., Mordecai, E. A., Johnson, L. R., & Lippi, C. A. (2023). Global expansion and redistribution of Aedes-borne virus transmission risk with climate change. Nature Communications, 14, Article 1234. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21496-7

  4. Galway, L. P., & Field, E. (2023). Climate emotions and anxiety among young people in Canada: A national survey and call to action. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 1, 100010. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366998840_

  5. World Health Organization. (2021). COP26 special report on climate change and health: The health argument for climate action. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240036727

  6. World Health Organization. (2023). Climate change and health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health

  7. World Health Organization. (2024). Heat and health country profile: Canada. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-heat-and-health