With South Africa hosting the G20, Wellcome recognized the importance of understanding pan-African priorities and translating them into policy actions within the G20 forum. To achieve this, Wellcome convened two cross-sectoral consultations, bringing together over fifty thought leaders working on the climate and health nexus and infectious diseases to identify their priorities and provide recommendations for policymakers.
These consultations were co-designed with anchor partners, who played a crucial role in shaping the agenda, selecting participants, and ensuring a diverse range of perspectives—including academics, private sector leaders, policymakers, and civil society organizations (CSOs). The sessions began with an overview of anchor partners’ work and a presentation of the current landscape, followed by breakout discussions where small groups highlighted key challenges and introduced policy recommendations for G20 policymakers. For the Climate and Health consultation, we are grateful to the Africa Health Business (AHB), African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), and the Africa Research and Impact Network (ARIN) for their role as anchor partners.
Recent political developments have placed climate funding at greater risk than ever. The United States has withdrawn from key initiatives, including the Loss and Damage Fund—a priority of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group—and the Paris Agreement1. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is reducing its aid budget from 0.5% of GNI in 2025 to 0.3% by 2027 to prioritize defence spending. In this context, it is crucial to understand how decision-makers can maximize the efficiency of existing funding while also ensuring that these challenges are factored into discussions at the upcoming G20 meetings. While the recommendations outlined in this document were formulated before these shifts, they remain highly relevant. As political priorities shift, the challenge of securing sustainable funding for climate and health becomes even more critical.
This document summarizes the outcomes of the Climate and Health consultation, aligning expert insights with some of the G20’s priorities to ensure that decision-makers are informed of key issues and expert perspectives. While this document reflects the outcomes of the consultation, it does not represent the full spectrum of expert priorities or the individual priorities of any institution……