WMA at COP31: Bringing the Physician Voice to Climate Negotiations
The World Medical Association (WMA), represented by a delegation of physicians from around the world, will be attending the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
Climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern – it is an unfolding global health emergency. It is actively reshaping disease patterns, compounding heat-related illnesses, and threatening vital care delivery worldwide. Frontline physicians witness these consequences firsthand in their daily practice.
Guided by the WMA’s Declaration of Delhi on Health and Climate Change, delegates are stepping up to bridge the gap between multilateral climate policy and clinical reality. Through speaking engagements and side events, physicians are championing resilient, sustainable health systems, advocating for a just transition away from fossil fuels, and bringing lived frontline experiences directly to global climate negotiators.
Below is an overview of the events co-organized by the Junior Doctors Network (WMA-JDN) alongside global partners, as well as upcoming speaking engagements. For full details on the WMA’s views and priorities, please refer to the official WMA press release.
Events:
Heat, Health and Human Resilience: Protecting Workers, Youth and Women in a Just Climate Transition
Time: November 9th, 14:30 – 15:30
Location: COP31 Just Transition Pavilion
Organizers: World Medical Association – Junior Doctors Network (WMA-JDN), NYU grossman school of medicine, Dokuz Eylül University Medical Faculty and Fair Labor Association
Format: Hybrid (livestream link)
Youth-Led Climate and Health Action: From Global Commitments to National Implementation
Time: November 14th, 12:00 – 13:00
Location: COP31 Health Pavilion
Organizers: Health Working Group – Official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC (YOUNGO), World Medical Association – Junior Doctors Network (WMA-JDN), World Health Organization (WHO) Youth Council, DTH-Lab, International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF), International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC), Govardhan Foundation, Young World Federation of Public Health Associations (YWFPHA), and Youth Climate and Health Network (YCHN) of GCHA
Format: Hybrid (livestream link)
Triage Under Pressure: Lived Experiences of Frontline Physicians in an Era of Climate Emergencies
Time: November 14th, 17:00 – 18:00
Location: COP31 Health Pavilion
Organizers: World Medical Association – Junior Doctors Network (WMA-JDN), GCHA’s Youth Climate and Health Network (YCHN), Doctors for the Environment Australia, The World Health Organization (WHO) Youth Council and the Health Working Group – Official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC (YOUNGO)
Format: Hybrid (livestream link)
Speaking engagements:
Delivering on Gender and Health Commitments: Pathways to Equitable and Climate-Resilient Health Systems
Time: November 11th, 15:00 – 16:00
Location: COP31 Global Futures Pavilion
Organizers: The George Institute for Global Health, NCD Alliance, Regenerate Africa, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Youth Council
Format: In-person
