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ATACH online General Meeting roundup - March 2026

The ATACH Online General Meeting was held on 31 March 2026.  ATACH members attended from all over the world in two sessions with the aim to foster collaboration across countries and organizations to address the pressing intersections of climate change and health.  The morning and afternoon sessions had similar agendas to ensure members from all time zones had an opportunity to participate and make interventions. 

opening slide of the 2026 General meeting

"ATACH has been providing us with a key global platform to deliver a critical and ambitious mandate to protect and promote health by building climate-resilient and low-carbon sustainable health systems." - Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i. of the Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, World Health Organization (WHO) 

"We share a conviction that climate change poses a serious and direct threat to health and to the social, economic, and environmental determinants that undermine our global health security." - Charlotte Biswas, Head of Human Development Department,  The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK (FCDO). 

The meeting opened with remarks from Dr Ruediger Krech, WHO, and Charlotte Biswas, FCDO. 

The Secretariat provided a summary of progress that ATACH has made since its inception in 2022.  Key highlights from the progress and evaluation reports included: 

  • ATACH membership has surged from 50 countries to over 100 countries since COP26, indicating the initiative's growing relevance. 

  • ATACH has been effective in advocacy, knowledge sharing, and mobilizing political commitment 

  • There is a need for strengthened capacity building, access to finance, and monitoring mechanisms. 

Representatives from countries, including France and Türkiye, discussed upcoming initiatives and the importance of integrating health considerations into climate policies.  Specific mention was made of the upcoming high-level strategic meeting hosted by France and the planned COP31 in Türkiye, focusing on health and climate action. 

"Climate change is no longer solely an environmental concern. It is one of the defining public health challenges of our time." - Dr Gül Mersinlioğlu Serin, Health Expert, Ministry of Health, Republic of Türkiye 

Key deliverables developed by ATACH Task Teams to support country action on climate change and health were also presented, namely: Guidance on measuring greenhouse gas emissions in health systems, Strategic actions for decarbonizing the healthcare supply chain and “Smart buys” for health sector adaptation. These efforts underscore the need for actionable insights and practical solutions advanced through ATACH. 

"If it wasn't here, my God, the first thing we would need to do is build it back.  So, I want to make sure that this document properly celebrates the things that we have managed to achieve." - Dr Nick Watts, Director, Centre for Sustainable Medicine, National University of Singapore 

A draft operational strategy for ATACH was introduced by Dr Nick Watts, emphasizing the need for ATACH to adapt to changing global circumstances and the importance of member input in shaping future direction.  The strategy will focus on enhancing partnerships, capacity building, and leveraging existing resources to maximize impact. 

There were lively Q&A sessions demonstrating the rich and diverse ATACH Community and commitment of members to address climate and health issues through this collaborative platform.  Participants were encouraged to share their insights and feedback on the operational strategy, with plans for further discussions at the upcoming World Health Assembly. 

If you missed the meeting, or would like to view it again, the recordings are below. 

Meeting recordings: 

Morning session 

Afternoon session 

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