Our health programme

Climate Action Accelerator is committed to catalysing the health sector’s transformation toward climate-resilient, low-carbon and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities and systems. The health sector’s contribution to global carbon emissions and its unique position to drive systemic change make it a pivotal player in climate action. Health facilities must adapt rapidly to meet changing health needs due to the climate crisis, whilst taking measures to increase their resilience to climate hazards and the indirect consequences of climate change (such as changing patterns of infectious diseases). Through a mix of innovative pilot projects, resource development, capacity development, and advocacy, Climate Action Accelerator supports healthcare organizations in adopting climate-smart and sustainable practices.

Our health strategy aligns with the overarching vision of the Climate Action Accelerator: enabling organizations to lead transformative climate action and accelerating global momentum toward sustainability. It intends to answer this central question: What strategies and actions can enable us to improve everyone’s health while respecting the planetary boundaries?​ Climate Action Accelerator aims to:

• Empower health systems to anticipate and address climate-related and ecological challenges while improving the quality of care.
• Implement low-carbon, environmentally sustainable healthcare solutions.
• Contribute to global health equity by addressing disproportionate climate impacts on vulnerable populations.

Piloting Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Healthcare Models

• Develop and test innovative projects:
  • Climate-Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Hospital Project in Ngouri, Chad
  • Environmentally Sustainable Primary Care Project, Cederberg, South Africa
  • Climate Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare (CRESH) for the population of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
  • SENEYA – means ‘cleanliness’ in Mandinka, or Health, Environment, Ecosystems, including Adaptation: a project based on the One Health approach
• Document and share learnings to inform scalable models in similar contexts.

Building Capacities Across the Sector

• Equip healthcare organisations with tools such as the Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) toolkit.
• Provide training for health leaders, focusing on context-specific climate and sustainability strategies.
• Develop key resources such as technical briefs and cost/carbon modelling for impactful decision-making.

Amplifying Impact Through Partnerships and Policy Engagement

• Collaborate with global health organizations (e.g., WHO’s Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, Future of Hospitals Initiative) to influence policies, funding and standards for climate-smart healthcare.
• Advocate for more investment in CRESH in LMICs, highlighting affordability and feasibility.
• Mobilize broader health sector engagement, fostering South-South and North-South exchanges of innovation.

Globally, the health sector is responsible for 4-5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Its amplification potential lies in its global reach and trustworthiness. It is uniquely positioned to:

• Influence large networks: Health professionals can inspire change within and beyond healthcare.
• Demonstrate feasibility: By adopting practical solutions, healthcare organisations can show that climate-smart practices enhance operational sustainability and the quality of care.
• Bridge disparities: Climate-resilient health systems address vulnerabilities exacerbated by climate change, fostering equity.

Climate Action Accelerator invites health organizations, policymakers, and stakeholders to join us on this transformative journey. Together, we can create climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems that protect our human and planetary health.

Learn more about our initiatives or contact us to find collaboration opportunities.

Cover photo: Dan Stiepleman/NIH