Climate and Health Funders Coalition

The Climate and Health Funders Coalition (CHFC) has emerged as one of the most powerful collaborative philanthropic efforts in the fight against climate change and its growing impact on global health. Announced at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the coalition brings together over 35 leading philanthropies that have jointly pledged $300 million to confront both the drivers of climate change and its severe consequences on human health.

This landmark funding initiative marks a turning point in global climate–health action, especially as extreme heat, air pollution, and climate-sensitive diseases continue to threaten billions of people worldwide.

What Is the Climate and Health Funders Coalition?

The Climate and Health Funders Coalition is a global alliance of institutional and individual philanthropies working at international, national, and regional levels. Their shared mission is to support integrated climate and health solutions that protect vulnerable communities and strengthen public health systems.

Major Members Include:

• Bloomberg Philanthropies

• Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• IKEA Foundation

• Quadrature Climate Foundation

• The Rockefeller Foundation

• Philanthropy Asia Alliance (Temasek Trust)

• Wellcome Trust

Together, these organizations represent some of the world’s most influential health, climate, and development funders.

$300 Million Commitment: What Will It Support?

The coalition’s initial $300 million pledge aims to advance high-impact solutions across four major climate–health priority areas:

1. Extreme Heat

• Heat action plans

• Early-warning systems

• Community cooling solutions

• Heat-resilient infrastructure

2. Air Pollution

• Research and data platforms

• Clean air and low-emission policies

• Health burden assessment

3. Climate-Sensitive Infectious Diseases

• Dengue and malaria surveillance

• Outbreak prediction models

• Local health system preparedness

4. Climate–Health Data Integration

• Stronger digital health surveillance

• Unified climate–health information systems

• Tools for real-time risk monitoring

These investments will accelerate solutions where they are needed most—particularly in low- and middle-income countries already living through dangerous climate impacts.

Why This Coalition Is Needed Now

Climate change has become the biggest threat to global health in the 21st century.

Key Health Impacts of the Climate Crisis

• Over 500,000 deaths every year from extreme heat

• More than 150,000 annual deaths from wildfire smoke

• Rapid rise in dengue and malaria transmission

• Health systems already overstretched

• Increasing storms, floods, droughts, and food insecurity

According to the coalition, 3.3 billion people are at risk from climate-driven health impacts.

Global warming above 1.5°C is projected to unleash far more severe consequences—including surges in deadly heatwaves and disease outbreaks.

Supporting the Belém Health Action Plan (COP30)

The coalition directly supports the Belém Health Action Plan, launched at COP30 to place human health at the heart of climate action.

Key Focus Areas:

• Strengthening disease surveillance and early-warning systems

• Building climate-resilient health infrastructure

• Capacity-building in vulnerable regions

• Investing in R&D, technology, and equitable solutions

This framework aims to protect populations—especially in Asia, Africa, and Latin America—where climate impacts are already severe.

A Major Signal of Global Leadership

According to Jeni Miller, Executive Director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance:

“The launch of the Climate and Health Funders Coalition is a powerful signal that protecting health must be at the centre of climate adaptation.”

Despite political uncertainty—such as the U.S. stepping back from climate talks—global philanthropy is stepping up to fill critical gaps.

Why the Coalition Is a Game Changer

✔ First large-scale fund focusing entirely on climate and health

✔ Supports communities most affected by heat, air pollution, and disease

✔ Addresses the massive global adaptation finance gap

✔ Strengthens resilience of health systems worldwide

✔ Accelerates evidence-based, scalable solutions

This initiative is expected to complement national climate efforts and encourage governments to prioritize health-centered climate action.

Conclusion

The Climate and Health Funders Coalition represents a historic step in linking climate action with public health protection. With a $300 million initial funding commitment, the coalition is poised to accelerate global efforts to combat extreme heat, air pollution, infectious diseases, and other climate-induced health threats.

As climate impacts intensify, this collaborative philanthropic effort underscores a powerful truth:
Climate action is public health action—and the world urgently needs both.

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