LIEPP is a partner of the side-event “Burden by Degrees: From Health Impact Data to Climate Justice & Action”, held on 18 November 2025 in the Blue Zone of COP30 in Belém. This international event brings together an unprecedented consortium of African, European, and international institutions committed to analyzing the health impacts of climate change and building more just and effective public action in response to climate-related loss and damage.

Putting Health at the Heart of Climate Justice

The health dimension of climate-related loss and damage remains largely underestimated in international negotiations. The lack of precise data deprives the most exposed countries, particularly in Africa, of essential tools to advocate for their adaptation needs, mobilize dedicated funding, or support legal action in over 2,600 climate-related lawsuits ongoing worldwide.

This event aims to fill this gap by presenting an innovative framework for quantifying the “climate-change-attributable burden of disease” (ccBoD). Developed from more than 65 health cohorts in the HDSS (Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems) network in Africa and Asia, this approach goes beyond measuring deaths alone, encompassing all disease episodes and linking them to high-frequency meteorological data collected via low-cost climate stations.

This initiative aligns perfectly with LIEPP’s interdisciplinary mission: integrating health, social, and environmental dimensions. By including not only the physiological impacts of climate change but also the social factors shaping vulnerability (living conditions, territorial inequalities, access to essential services), this approach opens the way to more comprehensive and equitable analyses, capable of informing public policies that are truly adapted to local contexts and the populations most at risk.

An International and Interdisciplinary Scientific Collaboration

Organized in partnership with WHO Africa, several African universities (Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso), the Paris Cité Global Health Institute, the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, and the London School of Economics, this event places LIEPP at the center of international debates on the intersection of health, climate, environmental justice, and global governance.

The laboratory contributes directly to strategic reflections through the participation of Charlotte Halpern (LIEPP & CEE, Sciences Po) and Anneliese Depoux (LIEPP & Earth Policy Center, Université Paris Cité). Their contributions focus on levers and obstacles to integrating climate-health issues into public policy: how to produce actionable knowledge, organize the interface between science and public decision-making, and translate health data into institutional, financial, or legal instruments that can be used by states.

From Knowledge to Action: Supporting the Most Vulnerable Countries

This side-event continues the momentum launched by the “Dakar Call for Action on Climate and Health in Africa”, which calls for strengthening data production, research capacity, and funding dedicated to climate-health policies. Discussions will focus on three key areas:

• The use of ccBoD in national adaptation strategies;
• Its role in supporting funding requests and compensation claims under loss and damage frameworks;
• Its potential as a legal tool in climate litigation.

African case studies illustrate how “climate-ready” health systems, digital innovations (including AI chatbots), and adapted legal frameworks can transform health data into a genuine lever for climate justice, prevention, and resilience.

LIEPP’s Presence on the International Stage

By partnering in this event, LIEPP and its Environmental Policy research group reinforce their commitment to concrete, interdisciplinary evaluation at the heart of contemporary challenges and crises. This partnership fully aligns with the laboratory’s mission: producing rigorous knowledge and informing public decision-making, particularly in areas related to ecological transition and inequality reduction.

The event will be broadcast live on the official UN Climate Change Events channel.