WHO/Europe’s mandate on climate change

Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (Parma, Italy, 10-12 March 2010)

Governments from northern, western, central, southern and eastern Europe adopted a declaration with the Commitment to Act on Climate Change and Health at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma (2010). The Regional Framework for Action supports with a list of proposed actions the Commitment to Act.

Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (Budapest, Hungary, 25 June 2004)

After the central European floods and the heat-wave in 2003, WHO/Europe was asked by the Fourth Ministerial Conference to coordinate a public health response to extreme weather events, as well as to explore healthy energy policies.

Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (London, United Kingdom, 1999)

The Third Ministerial Conference requested WHO/Europe to establish a programme on climate change. The initial mandate was to set up a Europe-wide interagency network to better understand the health effects of climate change and to promote healthy mitigation and adaptation action.