London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) issues a health-centred call ahead of COP30 (7 Nov)
What happened:
On 7 November 2025 LSHTM published a statement ahead of the climate summit in Belém (Brazil) emphasizing that health must be central in climate action, calling for measurable adaptation targets, health-system resilience, equitable climate finance and protections for vulnerable communities.
System upgrade focus:
- Embedding health indicators and health-system resilience into climate adaptation and mitigation frameworks (i.e., linking public health systems with climate/infrastructure systems).
- Upgrading governance: the “health in all policies” approach applied to climate negotiations, meaning health stakeholders are integrated into climate-finance, infrastructure, mobility, agriculture systems.
- Shifting from siloed health or environment interventions → integrated planetary-health systems that recognize the interdependence of ecological and personal wellness.
Impact:
- Puts human health explicitly in the drivers’ seat of planetary systems change — meaning climate/infrastructure policies will increasingly be judged by health outcomes (not just emissions reductions).
- Strengthens the case for investments in health-system adaptation (extreme heat, vector-borne disease, food/water insecurity) which also reduce vulnerability and thus cost.
- For individuals: signals that as the planet’s systems (climate, biodiversity, air/water quality) degrade, personal health risks rise; hence proactive system upgrades matter.
- This is a clear example of “the interdependence of planetary & personal health” — giving you a lever to explore in campaigns, summit sessions, etc.
New special issue of The Lancet Planetary Health on transforming food systems (3 Nov)
What happened:
On 3 November a special issue of The Lancet Planetary Health was published (led by Cornell University’s Food Systems & Global Change group) focusing on how food systems sit at the nexus of human health, environmental sustainability and justice.
System upgrade focus:
- Upgrading food-system design: moving beyond production → consumption → waste to an integrated model that considers planetary boundaries + human nutrition.
- Embedding circularity and supply-chain redesign (reduce waste, improve access to healthy diets, reduce environmental footprint) into food systems.
- Linking policy, consumer behavior, production innovation, and systems modelling so that health + environmental outcomes are aligned.
Impact:
- For individuals: emphasizes that choosing healthy diets (rich in plants, modest in animal products) is not only good for you, but also for the planet — reinforcing personal health + planetary health alignment.
- For planetary systems: by re-designing food systems to be more efficient, healthier, lower-impact, the burden on ecosystems (land, water, biodiversity, climate) is reduced — thereby indirectly improving human health via cleaner environment, better nutrition, less disease.
Study: “Adapting to Health Risks — Changing Climate, Shifting Systems” (7 Nov)
What happened:
A new paper published 7 Nov (in JAMA Network Open) analysed excess health burden from non-optimal temperatures (heat, cold) in the U.S., projecting thousands of additional deaths and large healthcare costs, and stressed that preventive adaptive systems (e.g., energy assistance, cooling/heating infrastructure) can reduce health impacts.
System upgrade focus:
- Upgrading infrastructure and social-protection systems (e.g., energy access, building cooling/insulation, urban greening) to buffer individuals from environmental stressors driven by climate change.
- Integrating environmental-exposure systems (extreme heat/cold, air quality) with health care and public-health planning systems (so that health vulnerability is addressed proactively).
- Upgrading data systems: linking climate, built-environment, epidemiological data to inform adaptive policy.
Impact:
- For personal health: shows that as planetary climate shifts (extreme temperatures) health risks (mortality, morbidity) escalate — meaning investments in adaptation systems benefit individuals now.
- For planetary systems: adaptation infrastructure (better buildings, energy system resilience, greening) simultaneously builds climate resilience and protects human health — creating co-benefits across scales.
Governance commentary: “Governments should show climate and health ambition in NDCs” (6 Nov)
What happened:
On 6 Nov a commentary in The BMJ argued that countries’ national climate pledges (NDCs) must integrate health priorities, and that the next round of submissions should reflect health-system impact, equity, and planetary-health underpinnings.
System upgrade focus:
- Upgrading national-level policy frameworks: linking climate commitments with public-health system strengthening and equity considerations.
- Institutional upgrade: health ministries and environment/climate ministries working together rather than separately.
- Monitoring/reporting upgrade: requiring health-outcome indicators within climate policy frameworks (thus aligning personal health, public health, and planetary metrics).
Impact:
- For individuals & communities: better-integrated policy means health risks from climate/environmental change will be more deliberately mitigated — which can reduce disease burdens, care costs, vulnerable-population impacts.
- For planetary systems: policies that integrate health will likely invest in systems that reduce emissions and improve resilience (e.g., clean energy, sustainable transport, heat-and-cool infrastructure) — producing dual benefits.
Summary Table
| Initiative | System Upgrade Focus | Impact on Planetary ↔ Personal Health |
|---|---|---|
| LSHTM call ahead of COP30 | Integrating health into climate policy/governance | Links human health to planetary systems; builds investment in health-resilience |
| Lancet special issue on food systems | Food-system redesign for health & sustainability | Aligns diets/production with human & planetary health outcomes |
| Study on climate-temperature health burden | Infrastructure/adaptation systems linking environment + health | Shows personal health risks from planetary changes; informs preventive systems |
| Commentary on NDCs & health | Policy/governance upgrade elevating health in climate commitments | Better policy means dual benefits for environment and human health |
Why this matters.
- These updates clearly reveal the interdependence between planetary health (ecosystems, climate, natural capital) and personal health (nutrition, resilience, disease prevention).
- They highlight system upgrades rather than only individual behaviors — for example, governance systems, infrastructure systems, food-system redesign, climate adaptation systems. This aligns with your preference for actionable, holistic, systems-oriented content.
- They provide strong storylines and entry-points for your media, campaign and summit work:
- “How food system redesign creates healthier people and a healthier planet”
- “Why climate adaptation isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s about your health”
- “Governments must integrate health in climate policy to protect both people & planet”
- They give you levers for action: e.g., call for inclusion of health indicators in climate policy, promote adoption of planetary-health diets, advocate for adaptive infrastructure in vulnerable communities, highlight governance bridging health + environment.
- They support the narrative of equity and justice: vulnerable populations bear disproportionate planetary-health and personal-health burdens (climate impacts, food insecurity, health systems weaker) — which resonates with your emphasis on community, systems change, network platform, and participatory media.