The Belém Health Action Plan, released at COP30, is the first global climate plan to focus specifically on the human health impacts of climate change. Professor Alan Stein, who specializes in global health and child development, highlighted the significance of this new focus. He noted that any delay in addressing climate change will result in millions of avoidable deaths annually, with heat-related mortality having increased by 63% since 1990 and over half a million people now dying from heat stress each year.
Professor Stein expressed concern that earlier drafts of the plan did not sufficiently address children as a particularly vulnerable group. He emphasized the importance of early childhood development, stating: "Your time in the womb and your first two years – a critical 1000 days – establish your development as a human being in profound and long-lasting ways." According to Stein, this period shapes cognitive and physical growth, affecting future health, learning ability, and well-being.
He pointed out that climate change has direct consequences for children's development. For example, exposure to extreme heat during pregnancy can lead to preterm births and lower birth weights. Droughts and crop failures may cause poor nutrition during early life stages, resulting in slowed growth and brain development. Extreme weather events such as typhoons can displace families, disrupt education, and cause trauma.
Stein described how he and his colleagues worked with the Brazilian Health Ministry to ensure children were more directly considered in the final version of the Belém Health Action Plan. This collaboration was facilitated by Omnia El Omrani, an alumna of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. The final plan acknowledges that climate change is “placing significant strain on health systems worldwide and disproportionately affecting developing countries and populations in situations of vulnerability” and urges countries to develop evidence-based policies to “protect the health, nutrition, hydration, and psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents” within educational settings and broader adaptation efforts.
He stressed that low- and middle-income countries face particular challenges due to limited healthcare spending—about £30 per person annually compared with £2,200 per person in high-income countries—and existing aid is not adapted for climate-related needs. Furthermore, only 2.5% of current climate finance directed toward these countries addresses programs focused on children’s unique needs.
Stein leads the Children and Climate Initiative at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government. The initiative brings together experts from various fields across Oxford University who work with non-governmental organizations worldwide—including regions such as Asia-Pacific, Africa, Arab/Middle East, Europe/Central Asia—and research partners like UNICEF. Their goal is to understand how climate change affects child health outcomes globally.
Following their involvement with drafting feedback for the Belém Health Action Plan, Stein's team has been invited to serve as implementing partners for its components related to children. Over the coming years they will collaborate internationally to turn research into actionable policy recommendations.
“We can—we must—shield our children from the worst impacts of climate change,” said Stein.