On 3 December, ABPI, EFPIA, Farmindustria, IFPMA, IMC, JPMA, Leem, PhRMA, and vfa issued a joint statement on climate and health at the 2023 UN Conference on Climate Change, referred to as COP28. The COP28 is taking place 30 November-12 December in Dubai, UAE.

The innovative pharmaceutical industry commends the ambition to address climate change as an urgent health challenge at COP28, including through the agreement of the first ever Declaration on Climate and Health.

Pharmaceutical companies continue to be at the forefront of setting ambitious net-zero and carbon-neutrality targets, acting as part of global initiatives to reduce carbon emissions throughout their operations and value chains. To deliver on these targets, companies are investing in research and development with a view to delivering more environmentally sustainable products, manufacturing processes, and supply chains.

The complex and highly regulated nature of pharmaceutical products means that a high degree of coordination and collaboration between industry, governments, and healthcare systems is required.

As such, collaboration across UN institutions, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), government, civil society, and private sector will be essential in meeting theses ambitions. We therefore welcome the WHO Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) as an important platform for mobilizing the resources, knowledge, and expertise required to effectively address the climate and health crisis.

Investment in science and research, alongside coordinated global cooperation, will continue to be central in delivering on our shared climate commitments and those set out at COP28.

Read the Joint Statement.