As part of Climate Week NYC, The Rockefeller Foundation announced a new initiative to help cities tackle the health impacts of climate breakdown, with a significant focus on urban-level action.
The health impacts of the climate crisis are already being felt in cities around the world, where dense populations and environmental stressors like heat, pollution, and flooding cause severe risks to people’s safety, health and well-being. The Rockefeller Foundation’s new report, Urban Climate-Health Action: A New Approach to Protecting Health in the Era of Climate Change, identifies the need for improved coordination and planning to safeguard public health in urban areas.
The Foundation has pledged over US$1 million in grants, including to C40 Cities and the Resilient Cities Network, to implement a three-step action plan designed to address gaps in urban responses to climate-related health threats.
C40 Cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors committed to combating the climate crisis, will receive a grant to support heat-health pilot initiatives. These pilots will help city officials and key stakeholders better respond to health emergencies caused by extreme heat, particularly among vulnerable communities. This initiative is part of C40’s ongoing efforts to strengthen urban resilience and improve health outcomes as the effects of climate breakdown intensify.
“From New York to Nairobi, Bogotá to Bangalore, cities worldwide are facing rising health risks and increased stress from climate change,” said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programmes at The Rockefeller Foundation. “This report highlights immediate, actionable steps mayors, health officials, and residents can take to protect lives and improve well-being.”
The Rockefeller Foundation’s three-step action plan includes:
- Connecting health and meteorological agencies to better forecast health impacts from climate risks.
- Building multisectoral teams to develop local prevention and response plans.
- Budgeting resources effectively to ensure vulnerable populations are reached with timely interventions.
C40’s involvement in these efforts reinforces the network’s leadership in driving local climate action and its commitment to ensuring that cities are better prepared for the health challenges posed by climate breakdown.
The Foundation’s latest initiative is designed to test and scale solutions to the pressing climate-health crisis, with C40 Cities playing a central role in piloting life-saving strategies for urban populations at risk.