Bridging health and global climate policy: Opportunities for policymakers and health systems

Health is increasingly recognized as a priority within global climate policy yet remains underrepresented in instruments such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The 2025 NDC Revision Cycle, ahead of COP30, presents a critical opportunity to operationalize existing health-related recommendations by integrating measurable, health-focused commitments into NDCs. This article proposes a set of actionable commitments aligned with broader priorities to mobilize health-specific climate finance, phase out fossil fuels, integrate climate-health indicators, advance health-related mitigation and adaptation strategies, and synchronize with national health strategies, which are suitable for adoption in the 2025 NDC revisions and future policy processes. In parallel, we outline how the healthcare sector can accelerate uptake of these health-focused commitments and advance national mitigation and adaptation goals by: (1) strengthening climate-health data infrastructure, (2) establishing multi-level platforms that connect health stakeholders with policymakers, and (3) implementing decarbonization strategies. By embedding health-focused commitments into NDCs and positioning healthcare systems as data providers and decarbonization leaders, these measures can elevate the health sector's influence on climate policy, enhance real-time awareness of health risks, and mobilize climate financing. We situate these recommendations within the live policy window of the 2025 NDC revision cycle, the 2028 Global Stocktake, and persistent financing gaps to foster more informed, coordinated engagement by the health sector in shaping global climate commitments.